All the Last of Us season 2 news we’ve heard so far

The Last of Us’ first season has come to an end, but there’s more to Joel and Ellie’s story than one season of TV could tell. Unfortunately, HBO has revealed too much about the next season of the show, beyond the fact that it’s happening. We don’t even know when season 2 might arrive, but given HBO’s habit of waiting two years between the first two seasons of its biggest shows (like Westworld or likely House of the Dragon) it seems like we could be waiting awhile to return to The Last of Us’ Cordyceps apocalypse.

The show’s first season adapted the story of The Last of Us Part 1, the first game in the franchise, and one thing we do know is that season 2 will focus on the story of The Last of Us Part 2. Aside from that, here’s everything you should know about The Last of Us season 2 after watching the first season’s finale.

When will The Last of Us season 2 debut on HBO?

There’s no word yet on when exactly The Last of Us might get its second season, but we do know it’s on the way. Based on HBO’s production schedule for some of its other big series, we shouldn’t necessarily expect the customary TV break of just one year between seasons of The Last of Us, which likely brings the second season’s release date to 2025 or even later.

What is season 2 (and The Last of Us Part 2) about?

In the vaguest terms, The Last of Us Part 2 deals with the consequences of Joel’s actions at the end of Part 1. If the (very general) theme of the first game is love, the second game is more about hatred, with most of its run time dedicated to vengeance. If you thought season 1 was bleak, get ready!

Is there a time skip before The Last of Us season 2?

The Last of Us Part 2 takes place a few years after the events of the first game, which means that The Last of Us season 2 will likely have a time skip as well. However, Part 2 does include some flashbacks from the intervening years, so it all depends on how HBO chooses to adapt the story, and in what order.

Will Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey be back for season 2?

Probably! Their characters will be, at the very least. And while some fans online have expressed a bit of concern about Bella being too young for Ellie’s storyline in The Last of Us Part 2, she’s actually exactly the same age as the character in the game already. More importantly, showrunner and co-creator Craig Mazin has already said that there are no plans at all to recast Ramsey — who was one of the best parts of season 1.

Will The Last of Us season 2 be its last season?

It’s possible, but probably not. Officially the show has only been renewed for season 2 and not anything further than that, but given its popularity it’s likely to get however many more seasons Mazin and co-creator Neil Druckmann would like. As for how many that might be, the two have already said that they don’t feel the story of The Last of Us Part 2 can be adapted into just one season of television, so it’s likely they’d go for at least a third season, if not even more.