‘The Last of Us’ Season 3 Promises To Be Longer and “More Bang for Your Buck,” Says Showrunner Craig Mazin

The Last of Us is gearing up for its third season, and showrunner Craig Mazin says fans are in for a bigger experience. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Mazin revealed that season 3 will be longer than season 2 and more similar in scale to the first season.

“Season three will be more on par with season 1. More bang for the buck,” he said. Mazin also hinted that the exact episode structure is still under wraps, calling it “a little bit of a trade secret at the moment.”

Season 2 of The Last of Us focused on Ellie and Dina’s journey to Seattle as they hunted down Abby. The seven-episode season ended on a cliffhanger, showing Abby waking up with the onscreen text, “Seattle Day One.”

Season 3 is expected to explore those missing three days from Abby’s perspective, played by Kaitlyn Dever, filling in the gaps while Ellie and Dina were looking for her. Fans can also expect a likely fourth season that would cover the final part of the story known as The Farm in the video game.

The show continues to receive praise from critics. According to Metacritic, season 2 earned a weighted score of 81 out of 100 based on 42 reviews, earning “universal acclaim.” Rotten Tomatoes reported a 91% approval rating from 268 critics, highlighting the season as “a challenging expansion that retains its predecessor’s superb performances and verisimilitude,” according to the site’s consensus.

Reviewers praised the action sequences, direction, performances, production design, and writing, though some pointed out pacing issues and an incomplete story.

The decision to make season 3 longer makes sense when considering the game it adapts. The Last of Us Part 2, which the series follows, takes roughly 42 hours to fully complete and is split into three parts: Seattle Day One from Ellie’s perspective, Seattle Day Two from Abby’s perspective, and The Farm, which returns to Ellie.

With season 3 focusing on Abby, fans can expect a deeper dive into the events of the game, adding both length and detail to the story.

Neil Druckmann, who co-created the series and served as a writer and director alongside showrunner Craig Mazin, is stepping away from the show. This leaves Mazin as the only showrunner moving into the third season

Mazin’s comments suggest that the creative team is committed to giving audiences a satisfying mix of action, character development, and story expansion. “We’re kind of fiddling around with that,” Mazin said, emphasizing that season 3 will offer a more robust experience while keeping the series’ high standards intact.

Fans of the show can look forward to a season that delivers both scale and emotional impact, building on the acclaim earned by season 2.

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