Neil Druckmann says he's letting HBO worry about "what to spoil or not" ahead of The Last of Us season 2 after Part 2's leaks: "[It] all blew up in my face"

Neil Druckmann has explained why he's "learned not to put so much stock" in trying not to spoil things ahead of The Last of Us season 2.

In a new interview with GameSpot, the games' co-director said he realized how futile it is to go to great lengths to keep things secret from audiences after The Last of Us Part II fell victim to major leaks back in 2020.

"When it comes to like, what are we going to spoil or not spoil? You know, I fought tooth-and-nail when we made the game, and that all blew up in my face at the end, when we had those leaks that happened like months before the game came out," Druckmann recalled. "So I've learned to not put so much stock in that. 

"Also, now I have a creative partner, HBO. I kind of follow their lead here as far as spoilers and what we should show and not show and just, you know, again, approach it as if we're doing it for the first time, assuming the audience doesn't know anything. They're not Googling what happened in the game or not."

Starring Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal, The Last of Us season 2 picks up five years after Joel "rescued" Ellie from the Fireflies' hospital base. Soon, the pair's path crosses with that of Abby's (Kaitlyn Dever), setting them all on a revenge-filled collision course that threatens their relationships and their lives. Other fresh faces being welcomed in the new chapter include Young Mazino (as Jesse), Danny Ramirez (as Manny), Isabela Merced (as Dina), and Catherine O'Hara (as original character Gail).

"I feel like the best way I could respect the audience is by not thinking about them too much when I'm working on whatever I'm writing," Druckmann continued. "That way I could just make the best decision with as little outside influence as possible, and make the best internal decisions for the characters, for the story, for the medium."

The Last of Us season 2 premieres on HBO and Max in the US on April 13, before landing on Sky and NOW in the UK the following day. For further watchlist inspiration, check out our guide to the best shows on Max.