Well folks, HBO’s The Last of Us is about to take a long, dramatic walk off a very creative cliff. Why? Because Neil Druckmann—co-creator of the original Last of Us games, co-creator of the HBO adaptation, and the guy who basically breathes fungal apocalypse lore—is officially out. That’s right, Druckmann just announced he’s stepping away from the show, leaving the series solely in the hands of Craig Mazin, who, judging by the growing mountain of fan complaints, may not exactly be the guy you want running the show. At least from a respecting-the-source-material perspective.
The first season of The Last of Us was a smash hit in terms of critical reception. It had tense moments, heart-wrenching losses, Pedro Pascal doing dad things, and Bella Ramsey absolutely nailing the role of Ellie. Sure, the season was shorter than Joel’s patience for clickers, and yes, there were a few eyebrow-raising changes from the game, but it mostly worked and fans were still on board.
Then came season two… and, well, let’s just say the fanbase started to get a little confused, frustrated, and by the end, completely over it. While some viewers politely clapped from the sidelines, others started raising pitchforks online as Mazin’s creative decisions veered further and further from the beloved game source material. Enter Neil Druckmann—who apparently had to jump in midseason and course-correct like a harried parent cleaning up after a toddler with a paintbrush.
But now, even Druckmann has had enough.
In a statement to The Ankler, Druckmann said, “I’ve made the difficult decision to step away from my creative involvement in The Last of Us on HBO… 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…” Yes, that’s the actual title of his next project, and yes, we are looking forward to it.
Druckmann went on to say it’s been a career highlight working with Mazin and the cast and crew, yada yada, HBO and PlayStation will continue adapting The Last of Us Part II, and sure, that’s all very nice and polite. But what he didn’t say was, “Don’t worry, fans, I’ll still be here to make sure Ellie doesn’t turn into a musical theater dropout with a dream of opening a mushroom farm.” Because he won’t be. He’s gone.
And that’s the part that should worry you.
Because while Mazin did give us Chernobyl—a series that felt like watching depression in 4K—his stewardship of The Last of Us has been more controversial than Joel’s decision in that hospital. And with Druckmann no longer there to slap Mazin’s hand when it reaches for the “creative license” lever, fans are bracing for a third season that could make the Game of Thrones finale look like Citizen Kane.
Speaking of season three, it’s reportedly focusing on Abby (aka Ellie’s gym rival with a grudge), and it likely won’t even arrive until 2027. So that gives Mazin about two years to either go full auteur and alienate the entire fanbase, or—hear us out—maybe actually play the games to give him a better understanding of what is expected of him as a solo showrunner.
Either way, buckle up. Because The Last of Us isn’t over. Now let’s hope Druckmann’s next game has fewer heartbreaks. Or, at the very least, fewer creative exits.
