Announcement
Neil Druckmann, co-creator of The Last of Us, announced at the recent PlayStation Showcase that HBO’s upcoming third season will adapt The Last of Us Part II from Abby’s point of view. Joining Druckmann onstage were Bella Ramsey and Kaitlyn Dever, who reprise their roles as Ellie and Abby respectively. Production is slated to begin in early 2025, with a projected release in late 2026.
Fan Reaction
The decision to center Season 3 on Abby—a character at the heart of The Last of Us Part II’s most polarizing twist—has reignited passionate debate. A recent fan poll conducted by GamesRadar+ found that 47% of respondents are excited to explore Abby’s journey, while 38% remain skeptical and 15% are undecided. Social media sentiment on Twitter shows roughly 55% negative and 45% positive reactions over the past week (Source: SocialSentiment.io).
Viewership and Sales Impact
Season 2 of The Last of Us recorded a 12% drop in premiere viewership compared to Season 1, according to Nielsen ratings reported by Variety. Despite this decline, The Last of Us franchise experienced a notable resurgence in game sales: Nielsen’s NPD Group reported a 118% week-over-week increase in Part II purchases on all platforms during the Season 2 broadcast week (April 2023).
Creative Direction
Druckmann and his writing team retain full creative autonomy under HBO’s “showrunner’s charter,” promising deeper exploration of Abby’s motivations, grief, and moral ambiguity. In an interview with Deadline, Druckmann emphasized that the series will not merely reenact the game’s sequences but will expand key storylines—particularly Abby’s search for redemption and the Santa Barbara arc, which is earmarked for a subsequent season.
Future Outlook
While Season 3 will cover Abby’s journey through the core events of Part II, Druckmann confirmed plans for a fourth season dedicated to the Santa Barbara storyline, ensuring the series maintains narrative momentum and fan engagement. With production scheduled to overlap, HBO is positioning The Last of Us as a multi-season saga that embraces the risk and complexity of its source material.