The Last of Us showrunner Craig Mazin shares statement after creator Neil Druckmann steps away from the HBO series, promises to "deliver the show our audience has come to expect"

The Last of Us showrunner Craig Mazin has released a hopeful statement following Neil Druckmann's departure from the series.

"It’s been a creative dream to work with Neil and bring an adaptation of his brilliant work to life on HBO. I couldn’t have asked for a more generous creative partner," Mazin said in a statement (via Deadline). "As a true fan of Naughty Dog and Neil’s work in video games, I’m beyond excited to play his next game. While he focuses on that, I’ll continue to work with our brilliant cast and crew to deliver the show our audience has come to expect. We are so grateful to Neil and Halley Gross for entrusting the incredible story of The Last of Us Part II to us, and we’re just as grateful to the millions of people around the world who tune in.”

It was announced yesterday that Neil Druckmann, creator of The Last of Us video games and co-showrunner of the TV show, was stepping down from the latter in order to focus on his new game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. Druckmann wrote and directed several episodes of the show's first two seasons, but will not be directly involved with season 3 (or the rumored fourth season).

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The TV series, which stars Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, has been a massive hit since its inception, with the first season earning several Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy nominations. The Last of Us season 2 adapts The Last of Us Part 2, but only focuses on one chunk of the lengthy game, with the rest being told over a confirmed third season and a likely fourth season. Druckmann co-wrote the game with Halley Gross, who served as an executive producer on the show, and co-wrote one of season 2's best episodes. Gross, too, announced yesterday that she is stepping away from the series to pursue other opportunities.

“I've decided to take a step back from my day-to-day work to focus on what comes next," she wrote on Instagram. "Working alongside Neil, Craig, HBO and this remarkable cast and crew has been life changing,” she wrote. “The stories we told – about love, loss and what it means to be human in a terrifying world – are exactly why I love this franchise."

The Last of Us is streaming now on HBO Max. For more, check out our list of the best new TV shows coming your way in 2025 and beyond, or, read our The Last of Us season 2 review.