Neil Druckmann Says There’s a 'Dramatic Reason' Spores Are Back for The Last of Us Season 2

The Last of Us Season 2 showrunners Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin person confirmed “spores are back” pursuing their omission from Season 1.

The latest trailer for the upcoming HBO show, below, teased the instauration of spores aft they were near retired of Season 1. We spot Ellie, played by Bella Ramsey, presumption an infected whose enactment releases the spores.

You can’t halt this.#TheLastOfUs returns April 13 connected Max. pic.twitter.com/DH8UzAugIV

Warning! Spoilers for The Last of Us Season 1 follow.

In the video games, the cordyceps corruption spreads via spores, which forces the characters to deterioration a state disguise astatine points. But for Season 1 of the TV show, spores were ditched successful favour of tendrils, whose menace surely appears much horrifying and cinematic. In Season 1, we spot clickers sprout terrifying tendrils that simulate the mode mushrooms pass with each different done a root-like network.

There was a applicable crushed for the change, which is that utilizing spores successful the amusement would mean big-name stars similar Pedro Pascal would beryllium forced to deterioration a gasmask each different scene. While this works connected The Mandalorian acknowledgment to his chill helmet, a batch of the hostility would beryllium mislaid successful The Last of Us, and tendrils are besides mode much menacing, visually speaking.

“It’s disturbing and it’s violative. I deliberation it’s precise primal successful the mode it invades your ain body,” Mazin said successful an interrogation with Variety astir the determination to swap spores for tendrils, peculiarly successful the last country wherever Tess receives what tin lone beryllium described arsenic the world’s worst goodbye kiss.

The latest The Last of Us Season 2 trailer confirms the instrumentality of spores. Image credit: HBO Max.

Now, speaking astatine SXSW 2025, Druckmann confirmed determination is "an escalation of numbers and types of infected, but also, arsenic you spot successful the trailer, an escalation of the vector of however this happening spreads" successful The Last of Us Season 2, adding: "Season 1, we had this caller happening that wasn’t successful the crippled of these tendrils that spread, and that was 1 form. And past 1 changeable you spot successful this trailer, determination are things successful the air."

Mazin aboriginal confirmed "spores are back," earlier Druckmann added: "The crushed [we’re doing it now], I mean, we truly wanted to fig it out, and again, everything has to beryllium drama. There had to beryllium a melodramatic crushed of introducing it now. And determination is."

In different The Last of Us Season 2 news, histrion Kaitlyn Dever discussed playing Abby, admitting she finds it hard to halt herself from looking astatine the absorption connected the internet.

HBO's plans to widen The Last of Us Part 2 beyond a azygous season, dissimilar the critically acclaimed Season 1 which covered the entirety of the archetypal game. Mazin has said antecedently that Part 2 features a batch much communicative to cover, truthful portion Season 3 isn't greenlit arsenic of yet, they've built Season 2 with a "natural breakpoint" aft conscionable 7 episodes.

Image credit: HBO Max.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him connected Twitter astatine @wyp100. You tin scope Wesley astatine [email protected] oregon confidentially astatine [email protected].