The Last of Us creator promises shorter Season 2 will lead to longer future seasons

The official confirmation of The Last of Us Season 2’s episode count is a double-edged sword for fans eager to dive back into the Max series’ world.

Speaking with Deadline, showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann confirmed what many had feared: The Last of Us Season 2 will be a smaller affair, consisting of only seven episodes, versus the first season’s ten.

The showrunners didn’t confirm any further details, including runtimes, but did confirm that one The Last of Us Season 2 episode will be notably longer than the others. The news does confirm an earlier leak from DanielRPK.

However, it does bring some good news. Druckmann has again alluded to the potential of The Last of Us Season 3 and, for the first time, teased a Season 4 in earnest.

They also promised those seasons would be “significantly larger” in scope compared to The Last of Us Season 2.

“We don’t think that we’re going to be able to tell the story even within two seasons [2 and 3] because we’re taking our time and go down interesting pathways which we did a little bit in Season 1 too,” Mazin tells Deadline.

“We feel like it’s almost assuredly going to be the case that — as long as people keep watching and we can keep making more television — Season 3 will be significantly larger. And indeed, the story may require Season 4.”

The first season of The Last of Us is largely an adaptation of the first game, though it did take some twists and turns. Key moments in the game were expanded upon, and new segments were added to flesh out the characters and world.

The upcoming Season 2 is largely expected to adapt much of the second game and has already cast several key characters from The Last of Us Part 2. This includes the game’s sometimes antagonist Abby, whose role in the game is infamous among fans.

Fans aren’t quite sure what The Last of Us Season 2 holds, but early set photos and rumors of star Pedro Pascal wrapping early have definitely given them cause for concern.

The Last of Us Season 2 is scheduled for a 2025 release on Max. While you’re waiting, read about all the new streaming shows coming this month or Naughty Dog’s plans for a third The Last of Us game.