LOS ANGELES — Neil Druckmann is leaving "The Last of Us."

Druckmann, the co-creator of the hit HBO series and writer of the game on which it is based, announced Wednesday that he would be stepping away from the show ahead of its third season. Season 2 of "The Last of Us" concluded in May.

"I've made the difficult decision to step away from my creative involvement in The Last of Us on HBO," Druckmann said in a statement posted on Naughty Dog's Instagram account. "With work completed on season 2 and before any meaningful work starts on season 3, now is the right time for me to transition my complete focus to Naughty Dog and its future projects, including writing and directing our exciting next game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, along with my responsibilities as Studio Head and Head of Creative.

"Co-creating the show has been a career highlight," the statement continued. "It's been an honor to work alongside Craig Mazin to executive produce, direct and write on the last two seasons. I'm deeply thankful for the thoughtful approach and dedication the talented cast and crew took to adapting The Last of Us Part I and the continued adaptation of The Last of Us Part II."

Druckmann was a key creative behind the acclaimed 2013 video game "The Last of Us." The story of a man and a girl crossing a postapocalyptic landscape had been something on his mind for years before he joined the video game studio Naughty Dog, which he now leads. Set in a world ravaged by a fungal pandemic that turns human hosts into zombie-like creatures, "The Last of Us" showed that a big-budget violent action shooter could be a canvas for complex themes and storylines.

The television series, which premiered in 2023, was co-created by Druckmann and Mazin, an Emmy Award winner for HBO's limited series "Chernobyl." Starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey as Joel and Ellie, respectively, the first season was embraced by critics and audiences alike and went on to win eight Emmys (out of 24 total nominations). The show's second season, which adapts the story from the follow-up 2020 video game, "The Last of Us Part II," aired earlier this year. "The Last of Us" Season 3 will continue the story from "Part II," from the perspective of Kaitlyn Dever's Abby.

Naughty Dog's next game, "Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet," in development now for the PlayStation 5, will star Tati Gabrielle (who portrayed Nora in "The Last of Us" Season 2) as Jordan A. Mun, an interplanetary bounty hunter stranded on a mysterious remote planet. Most of its details — including a release date — have yet to be revealed.

The Ankler first reported the news of Druckmann's exit.

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