The Last of Us hasn't been off our screens for more than a couple months, and already – heartbreak. No, it's not that it's been cancelled (we would riot), and no, we already know that our beloved Joel (aka Pedro Pascal) will not be returning.

Our heartache comes from the swirling rumours that, despite The Last of Us being officially green lit for a third season – an announcement they made ahead of the anticipated premiere of Season 2 – its third season might be its final.

Of course, this makes sense for game lovers who know the plot arc, but we still held out hope for more screen time than this. Everything we know about The Last Of Us third (perhaps final) season below.

What will season three be about?

If rumours are true, season three will bring the journey of The Last Of Us to a penultimate close. The early renewal reflects the network’s confidence in the show's momentum, and in the storytelling vision of co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann.

Season 1 faithfully adapted the 2013 PlayStation game that started it all, but its follow-up, The Last of Us Part II, released in 2020, offers a far more sprawling narrative – one the creators always intended to explore over both seasons two and three.

“We’ve always known the second game would need more room to breathe,” said Mazin in an interview this week, hinting that the story’s scope could demand a total of three or even four seasons to fully play out. “It’s getting harder to make, because every episode gets big,” he noted. “You don’t want to wait four years for a 17-episode finish.”

When will season three be released?

If the gaps between seasons one and two are anything to go by, there could be a bit of a wait until we see The Last of Us season three on our screens. We're guessing at least a 2026 release date for this one, but we'll keep you updated here as we know more.