The Last of Us Season 2: What Game It Will Cover, Cast, and Everything Else to Know

The Last of Us Season 1 proved that video game adaptations can work. Yes, many in the genre have been lackluster in the past. But with stellar performances, extraordinary visual effects, and episodes that gave us all the feels, The Last of Us established itself as one of the best video game adaptations in the books. Lucky for us, creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann have been working on a Season 2.

In the HBO drama's first season finale, Joel (Pedro Pascal) took extreme measures (read: killed a bunch of people) to keep Ellie (Bella Ramsey) alive. Season 1 ended on a somber note, as Ellie seemingly knew that Joel had lied to her about the Fireflies and the cure they were working on.

HBO officially renewed The Last of Us for a second season back in January, and audiences — especially those of us who have not yet played Naughty Dog's PlayStation game — are eager to see what awaits the duo in Season 2. TV Guide will share everything we learn about the next chapter of the story here.

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The Last of Us Season 2 cast

It's hard to say who will appear in The Last of Us Season 2 — after all, the episodes released thus far have killed off our new favorite characters one after another. But it's safe to assume that Pascal's Joel and Ramsey's Bella will return for a second season. Fans of the game are also discussing potential casting for Abby, a key figure in The Last of Us Part II.

Asked about whether Abby has been cast in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, co-showrunner Mazin said, "maybe." "The strike stopped us in our tracks. Things were in process. Look, Abby was the first role that we wanted to tackle," he said. "We've got a pretty good track record of making major cast announcements and people going, 'Really?' which will probably continue."

How much of The Last of Us Part II will Season 2 cover?

In a March 2023 interview with GQ, Mazin and Druckmann were asked whether Season 2 of the show will cover all of Part II of the game. "No, no way," Mazin said. Druckmann also told GQ that Part II will take "more than one season" to tell. When asked about the exact number of seasons it'll take to adapt Part II, however, the creators did not share. 

One thing we do know is that fans can probably expect to see more of the infected when The Last of Us returns. "It's quite possible that there will be a lot more infected later," Mazin told Variety. "And perhaps different kinds."

The Last of Us Season 2 release date prediction

No Season 2 release date or production schedule has been announced, and given the ongoing writers and actors strikes for fair wages, there's a chance it could be a while. 

Before the strikes, in a February 2023 interview with Collider, Pedro Pascal was asked when HBO would start shooting Season 2. At the time, the actor said there was "a chance" that Season 2 would begin filming this calendar year. Now, that date will likely be pushed back. But when filming does begin, we can look to Season 1's production timeline for an example of how long it might take: For Season 1, shooting lasted just under a year, and the season aired about six months later. 

How to watch The Last of Us Season 1

Episodes are available to stream on Max.