The final episode of Season 2 of The Last Of Us concluded in a manner as intense as the preceding episodes of this thrilling season. Unfortunately, the Season 2 finale, which aired over the Memorial Day weekend in 2025, saw a notable drop in viewership for HBO.

As reported by the network, 3.7 million viewers across various platforms watched the Season 2 finale. According to The Wrap, this number represents a 55% fall from the 8.2 million viewers who watched the Season 1 finale across platforms.

Nonetheless, HBO anticipates a rise in the viewership for the Season 2 finale, attributing the current figures to “low viewing levels over the Memorial Day holiday weekend.” Season 2 of The Last Of Us has already attracted 37 million viewers per episode globally, surpassing the overall success of Season 1.

Season 2 of HBO’s adaptation closely follows the plot of The Last of Us Part II, which means viewers not familiar with the game were met with the shocking death of Pedro Pascal‘s beloved Joel early on in the season.

The rest of the season focused more so on Bella Ramsey‘s Ellie and Kaitlyn Dever‘s antagonist, Abby, as the show forced viewers to grapple with the gray area of grief and revenge.

The show has already been renewed for Season 3, which will adapt the rest of the video game sequel.

Craig Mazin teased the next season will continue exploring other characters, with a special focus on Abby.

“There is another side to this story that we have yet to really delve into,” Mazin said during a recent press conference. “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.”

He also revealed the series will require a fourth season to finish telling this story.

“Certainly, there’s no way to complete this narrative in a third season. Hopefully, we’ll earn our keep enough to come back and finish it in a fourth. That’s the most likely outcome,” he told Collider.

The Last Of Us is streaming now on HBO Max.