As one HBO primetime show ends (farewell, The White Lotus), another must rise to take its spot. Two years after The Last of Us first aired on Max, the video game adaptation starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey is returning for a second season.
The Last of Us game and the first season of the show both end with a cliffhanger that has... consequences. Anyone who’s already played The Last of Us Part 2, myself included, is probably feeling as much terror as excitement at the thought of witnessing what comes next on screen. In IGN’s review of Season 2, Simon Cardy acknowledges that it was “always going to be a challenge to adapt The Last of Us Part 2’s sprawling, twisting story into a television show," so it makes sense that the story will continue over a third season.
If you’re planning to tune in for the premiere of The Last of Us Season 2 or still need to catch up on Season 1, check out the details below.
The Last of Us Season 2 premieres on Max on Sunday, April 13, 2025. Standalone Max subscriptions start at $9.99 and can be bundled with Hulu and Disney+.
The Last of Us Season 2 will run for seven episodes total, two fewer episodes than Season 1. New episodes will be released on Max every Sunday at 9pm EST/6pm CST. Here’s the full release schedule:
The entire first season of The Last of Us is streaming on Max, with individual episodes available to rent or purchase through Prime Video. HBO also released a limited edition 4K steelbook of Season 1:
Sony and HBO have already confirmed that The Last of Us has been renewed for Season 3. There’s no official word on a release date, but production on the next season kicks off this summer. The studio has also reminded viewers that this does NOT mean there will be a third Last of Us game. As far as we know, Naughty Dog is wholly focused on its next project, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.
The first season of The Last of Us show adapted the entirety of the first game with some creative liberties. Season 2 brings us to the storylines of The Last of Us sequel, which will be split up across the next two seasons.
Both Naughty Dog games have been remastered, with new edition of The Last of Us Part 2 arriving on PC just last week. This is Naughty Dog, so a new "Complete" edition of both games has also been announced, with a physical release arriving this summer. Aside from the games themselves, Sony also released a special edition DualSense controller to celebrate the series.
The Last of Us Season 2 is led by the original game’s creator, Neil Druckmann, and Craig Mazin (Chernobyl), both of whom feature as writers alongside Haley Gross, who co-wrote The Last of Us Part 2 game. Each individual episode has its own director, with the full list including Mark Mylod (Succession, The Menu, Game of Thrones), Peter Hoar (It's a Sin, Daredevil, Doctor Who), and Stephen Williams (Lost).
Here’s the main cast starring in the new season of The Last of Us:
Don't be surprised if you don't recognize some of these names; several original characters are being introduced in the new season. You can check out our full breakdown of which characters are new or returning for more details.
