'The Last of Us' co-creator Neil Druckmann exits HBO series

Neil Druckmann is leaving “The Last of Us.”

Druckmann, the co-creator of the deed HBO bid and writer of the crippled connected which it is based, announced Wednesday that helium would beryllium stepping distant from the amusement up of its 3rd season. Season 2 of “The Last of Us” concluded successful May.

“I’ve made the hard determination to measurement distant from my originative engagement successful The Last of Us connected HBO,” Druckmann said successful a connection posted connected Naughty Dog’s Instagram account. “With enactment completed connected play 2 and earlier immoderate meaningful enactment starts connected play 3, present is the close clip for maine to modulation my implicit absorption to Naughty Dog and its aboriginal projects, including penning and directing our breathtaking adjacent game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, on with my responsibilities arsenic Studio Head and Head of Creative.

“Co-creating the amusement has been a vocation highlight,” the connection continued. “It’s been an grant to enactment alongside Craig Mazin to enforcement produce, nonstop and constitute connected the past 2 seasons. I’m profoundly thankful for the thoughtful attack and dedication the talented formed and unit took to adapting The Last of Us Part I and the continued adaptation of The Last of Us Part II.”

Druckmann was a cardinal originative down the acclaimed 2013 video crippled “The Last of Us.” The communicative of a antheral and a miss crossing a postapocalyptic scenery had been thing connected his caput for years earlier helium joined the video crippled workplace Naughty Dog, which helium present leads. Set successful a satellite ravaged by a fungal pandemic that turns quality hosts into zombie-like creatures, “The Last of Us” showed that a big-budget convulsive enactment shooter could beryllium a canvas for analyzable themes and storylines.

The tv series, which premiered successful 2023, was co-created by Druckmann and Mazin, an Emmy Award victor for HBO’s constricted bid “Chernobyl.” Starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey arsenic Joel and Ellie, respectively, the archetypal play was embraced by critics and audiences alike and went connected to triumph 8 Emmys (out of 24 full nominations). The show’s 2nd season, which adapts the communicative from the follow-up 2020 video game, “The Last of Us Part II,” aired earlier this year. “The Last of Us” Season 3 volition proceed the communicative from “Part II,” from the position of Kaitlyn Dever’s Abby.

Naughty Dog’s adjacent game, “Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet,” successful improvement present for the PlayStation 5, volition prima Tati Gabrielle (who portrayed Nora successful “The Last of Us” Season 2) arsenic Jordan A. Mun, an interplanetary bounty huntsman stranded connected a mysterious distant planet. Most of its details — including a merchandise day — person yet to beryllium revealed.

The Ankler archetypal reported the quality of Druckmann’s exit.