The Last of Us Creator Makes Shocking Exit From Show Ahead of Season 3

Bentley Maddox

Wed, July 2, 2025 at 7:33 PM UTC

5 min read

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Originally appeared on E! Online

The Last of Us has lost another major player.

Neil Druckmann, co-creator of the hit video game who also helmed the HBO adaptation alongside Craig Mazin, announced he would be exiting the series ahead of production on season three.

“I’ve made the difficult decision to step away from my creative involvement in The Last of Us on HBO,” Druckmann said in a statement to The Ankler July 2. “With work completed on season 2 and before any meaningful work starts on season 3, now is the right time for me to transition my complete focus to [video game developer] Naughty Dog and its future projects, including writing and directing our exciting next game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, along with my responsibilities as Studio Head and Head of Creative.”

The video game executive—who will continue to be credited as an executive producer on the show—also shared his gratitude for his work on the Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey-led series.

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“Co-creating the show has been a career highlight,” Druckmann continued. “It’s been an honor to work alongside Craig Mazin to executive produce, direct and write on the last two seasons. I’m deeply thankful for the thoughtful approach and dedication the talented cast and crew took to adapting The Last of Us Part I and the continued adaptation of The Last of Us Part II.”

In addition to Druckmann’s exit, Halley Gross—who co-wrote the Part II version of the video game and worked on season two of the show—also revealed her departure.

Neil Druckmann — Lisa O'Connor/Shutterstock

“With great care and consideration, I’ve decided to take a step back from my day-to-day work on HBO’s The Last of Us to make space for what comes next,” she shared in her own Instagram announcement. “I’m so appreciative of how special this experience has been.”

Gross added, “Working alongside Neil, Craig, HBO, and this remarkable cast and crew has been life changing. The stories we told – about love, loss, and what it means to be human in a terrifying world – are exactly why I love this franchise.”

As for Mazin, he expressed gratitude towards his collaborators for all they did for the show.

Bella Ramsey, Pedro Pascal, The Last of Us — Liane Hentscher/HBO

“It’s been a creative dream to work with Neil and bring an adaptation of his brilliant work to life on HBO,” the Chernobyl creator said in a statement to Variety. “I couldn’t have asked for a more generous creative partner. As a true fan of Naughty Dog and Neil’s work in video games, I’m beyond excited to play his next game.”

Looking ahead, Mazin continued, “While he focuses on that, I’ll continue to work with our brilliant cast and crew to deliver the show our audience has come to expect. We are so grateful to Neil and Halley Gross for entrusting the incredible story of The Last of Us Part II to us, and we’re just as grateful to the millions of people around the world who tune in.”

While The Last of Us has officially been renewed for season three, read on to learn the fate of other current TV shows.

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