HBO Reveals The Last of Us Season 2 Release Window

It’s been almost two years since The Last of Us Season 1 debuted on HBO and fans are craving more of the blockbuster video game adaptation. While Season 2 of the series was greenlit almost immediately HBO has only recently narrowed down the release window of the new The Last of Us episodes.

Season 2 of The Last of Us will adapt the story of Naughty Dog’s second hit video game, The Last of Us Part 2. This story continues to explore the relationship between Joel and Ellie five years after the end of their journey across the country in Season 1 and finds them settled in Jackson with Joel’s brother, Tommy. Trailers for The Last of Us Season 2 released thus far have shown another close adaptation of the video game, with the series taking the action to Seattle where Ellie comes into contact with dangerous new dystopian groups and more infected enemies.

HBO Narrows The Last of Us Return Date

While it’s been known for some time that HBO planned to release The Last of Us Season 2 in 2025, the studio recently narrowed down which portion of the year fans can expect to see the series. As reported by IGN, HBO Content CEO and Chairman Casey Bloys announced during a programming slate presentation that The Last of Us Season 2 will be released in Spring 2025, narrowing the months of release to some time between March and the end of May.

This also aligns with Bloys’ comments earlier in 2024 that suggested the series would debut in the first half of the year to be released in time for Emmys consideration, meaning a chunk of the season would need to have aired by May 31st, 2025. Unlike Season 1, Season 2 of The Last of Us is rumored to have a reduced episode count, with only seven episodes in the new season instead of nine. Going by the Emmy deadline, that makes it likely that The Last of Us would need to begin airing its new season by April at least.

The Last of Us Part Will Need Multiple Seasons to Cover the Second Game

Showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann have been open about the fact that it will take more than one season to cover the entirety of the story laid out in The Last of Us Part 2, which is roughly double the length of the first game. Therefore, considering the shorter season, it's unclear exactly how far into the second game’s story Season 2 will get before the season finale. Judging by the scenes shown in trailers it seems at least the first third of the game will be covered in Season 2, but it’s still a mystery how the TV show will tackle The Last of Us Part 2’s unique structure. What is known is that new characters from the games have been cast with Jeffrey Wright reprising his role of Isaac from the game, alongside new cast members Kaitlyn Dever (Abby), Isabela Merced (Dine), Young Mazino (Jesse), Ariela Barer (Mel), and many more.