Warner Bros. Discovery Inc (NASDAQ:WBD) HBO has confirmed that "The Last of Us Season 2" will premiere in spring 2025.

The announcement was made by HBO and Max content CEO Casey Bloys during a 2025 programming slate presentation (via IGN), narrowing the release window after months of speculation.

Success Of Season 1

The first season of The Last of Us was a major success. It won eight Emmys and averaged 32 million viewers per episode in the U.S., solidifying its place as one of the most successful live-action video game adaptations. Following its debut, HBO confirmed a second season just two weeks after the first episode aired in January 2023.

By December 2023, HBO had set the general target of a 2025 release. Now, Bloys has confirmed the show will return in spring 2025.

What To Expect In Season 2

Season 2 will follow the events of The Last of Us Part II, with the story stretched across multiple seasons. Showrunner Craig Mazin confirmed that it would be impossible to tell the full story in just two seasons, and that the series would continue to grow.

"We don't think that we're going to be able to tell the story even within two [more] seasons because we're taking our time and [going] down interesting pathways which we did a little bit in season one too," Mazin said. "We feel like it's almost assuredly going to be the case that— as long as people keep watching and we can keep making more television— season three will be significantly larger. And indeed, the story may require season four."

Shorter Episode Count For Season 2

Season 2 will have seven episodes, a reduction from the nine episodes in Season 1. Mazin explained that the larger scope of the story made it more difficult to produce, but the goal is to make each episode feel significant.

"The story that we're telling is much bigger than the story of season one, there's just a lot more going on, it's a lot harder to produce but we want every episode to feel like its own blockbuster," Mazin said.

New Characters And More Infected

Bella Ramsey will return as Ellie and Pedro Pascal as Joel. New faces will include Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, Isabela Merced as Dina, and Young Mazino as Jesse. Catherine O'Hara has also been cast in an undisclosed role. Mazin also mentioned that fans can expect "a lot more infected" in the upcoming season.

A new trailer for Season 2 was released in September 2024, offering a glimpse of the story ahead, and detailed breakdowns of the footage can be found online.

• Naughty Dog's The Last Of Us Games Prepped For PS5 Pro With 4K Support

Image credits: Shutterstock.