For several weeks this past spring, HBO’s Sunday nights were dominated by The Last of Us. Audiences couldn’t wait to see what new terrors awaited characters like Joel (Pedro Pascal), Ellie (Bella Ramsey), and Abby (Kaitlyn Dever). This blockbuster show quickly became a topic everyone was discussing at work. Keeping up with its weekly surprises, unexpected twists, and jaw-dropping character deaths was essential to avoid spoilers from colleagues. But is there a new episode airing on HBO tonight? And when can we expect to see The Last of Us Season 3?

The series is, as many know, based on the highly successful video game franchise of the same name. The first TV season covered the story of the initial Last of Us game, while Season 2 delved into part of the action in The Last of Us Part II. Fans familiar with the games might know that The Last of Us Season 3 leaves off with a dramatic cliffhanger, hinting at the HBO show’s plan to reveal more of this tale’s intense narrative.

When will viewers get the chance to see Abby’s perspective unfold? Will the mystery regarding Ellie’s fate—following the dramatic events at the end of Season 2—be resolved? And what lies ahead for Dina (Isabela Merced) and Tommy (Gabriel Luna)? What are the Seraphites plotting, and why are they entangled in a bitter conflict with the W.L.F.?

Is The Last of Us cancelled? Is it coming back? When will Part III drop?

Here’s everything you need to know about when The Last of Us comes back…

Is The Last of Us On Tonight (6/22/25)?

Alas, there is no new episode of The Last of Us on HBO or MAX tonight.

How Many Episodes are in The Last of Us Season 2?

There were seven episodes in total in The Last of Us Season 2. The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 7 “Convergence” was the season finale and it originally aired on May 25, 2025.

Was The Last of Us Cancelled?

No, The Last of Us was not cancelled (or canceled, depending on how you choose to spell it). In fact, HBO announced they would be making The Last of Us Season 3 all the way back on April 9, 2025.

Will There Be a The Last of Us Season 3 on HBO?

Yes! HBO is very definitely making The Last of Us Season 3. As fans of the games might expect, The Last of Us Season 3 will adapt the rest of The Last of Us II. That means that TLOU Season 3 will reveal what Abby was up to during those three tumultuous days in Seattle.

“There is another side to this story that we have yet to really delve into,” The Last of Us co-creator and co-showrunner Craig Mazin said during a recent virtual press conference attended by DECIDER. “There’s no question that Abby is the hero of her story. Kaitlyn Dever is the hero of a story always, you know? I mean, if you have Kaitlyn Dever, you use a Kaitlyn Dever.”

Mazin also teased that the third season will answer many questions sparked in Season 2.

“What is going on? How did that war start? How did the Seraphites start? Who is the prophet? What happened to her? What does Isaac want? What’s happening at the end of Episode 7? What is this explosion? What is all of it?” Mazin said. “And all of that will become clear.“

As the conference ended, Mazin was asked if there was anything he could tease about Season 3 and he teasingly answered, “Rats, what should we talk about?” The implication being that we will see a Rat King version of the cordyceps zombies next season.

When Does The Last of Us Return With New Episodes On HBO? TLOU Part 3 Premiere Date:

While we know for sure that The Last of Us Season 3 is happening, we don’t yet know exactly when it will be back on HBO or HBO MAX.

It took HBO about two years to make The Last of Us Seasons 1 and 2, so a safe bet would be to expect that The Last of Us Season 3 will come out in 2027.

However, it has to be acknowledged that the first two seasons of The Last of Us were also delayed due to COVID-19 and the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, respectively. So there’s a chance there could be a tighter turnaround for the third season. We think the very earliest TLOU Season 3 could come out would be late 2026, but it’s probably going to be 2027.

Still worried Abby killed Ellie at the end ofThe Last of Us Season 2? Are you still hoping that Jesse is okay? Wondering why you remember Mel’s (Ariela Barer) death not being as bad in the game? Check out DECIDER’s breakdown of The Last of Us Season 2 finale to learn more!

How To Watch The Last of Us:

Trying to find The Last of Us on Netflix or Hulu or Prime Video? Good luck! The only place you can stream on The Last of Us is on HBO or MAX (soon to be renamed HBO MAX).

If you’re new to Max, you can sign up for as low as $9.99/month with ads, but an ad-free subscription will cost $16.99/month.

If you want to stream even more and save a few bucks a month while you’re at it, we recommend subscribing to one of the discounted Disney+ Bundles with Hulu and Max. With ads, the bundle costs $16.99/month and without ads, $29.99/month.