When is ‘The Last of Us’ season 2 finale?

Season 2 of “The Last of Us” is drawing to a close.

The “Last of Us” season 2 finale will air on HBO and Max on Sunday, May 25, at 9 p.m. ET. If it seems like the season went by fast, there’s a good reason for that. The second chapter of the post-apocalyptic drama is two episodes shorter than the debut season.

Season 1 of “The Last of Us” was based on the 2013 video game of the same name, and season 2 is an adaptation of the game’s sequel, “The Last of Us Part II.” Series cocreator Craig Mazin explained to Deadline in June 2024 that it worked better to split the second game into several seasons of television.

“The story material that we got from Part II of the game is way more than the story material that was in the first game, so part of what we had to do from the start was figure out how to tell that story across seasons,” Mazin said. “When you do that, you look for natural breakpoints, and as we laid it out, this season, the national breakpoint felt like it came after seven episodes.”

HBO renewed “The Last of Us” for a third season in March, but Mazin is already eyeing the possibility of season 4.

“We don’t think that we’re going to be able to tell the story even within two seasons [2 and 3], because we’re taking our time and [going] down interesting pathways,” he 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 3 will be significantly larger. And indeed, the story may require season 4.”

READ MORE: What illness did Frank have in ‘The Last of Us?’

While Mazin seems to have a clear vision, fans could be waiting a while for the next chapter of “The Last of Us.” Isabela Merced, who joined the cast as Dina during season 2, told Variety earlier this month that she thinks filming for season 3 will take place “next year.”

That could mean “The Last of Us” won’t return until 2027.

“The Last of Us” is available to stream on Max.

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