Neil Druckmann exits HBO’s The Last of Us ahead of season 3

Co-creator of The Last of Us Neil Druckmann announced Wednesday that he’s stepping away from the HBO series ahead of season 3.

In a statement posted to Naughty Dog’s Instagram account, Druckmann said, “I’ve made the difficult decision to step away from my creative involvement in The Last of Us on HBO. 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 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.”

Druckmann continued, “Co-creating the show has been a career highlight. 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.”

Much like The Last of Us Part 2, The Last of Us season 2 faced much criticism. Some viewers believe that despite executing its first season well, HBO’s sophomore effort butchered Ellie’s character from the games. Some criticized the season’s narrative swings and polarizing character arcs, despite both being present from the onset, with the big changes in the series’ initial season. Some of the dialogue written by Druckmann and showrunner Craig Mazin has even become meme fodder within the fanbase. Outside of the franchise’s frequent bad-faith criticisms, there was an evident drop in viewership in season 2 when compared to season 1, and it’s rooted in valid complaints.

While a few details about The Last of Us season 3 have been confirmed, it’s clear the creative team is steering the story in a new direction as they continue adapting events from the sequel game. Meanwhile, it appears Druckmann’s full attention will be given to Sony and Naughty Dog’s Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet (and other unannounced projects), which is great, because he can’t stop talking about it.