The Last of Us Season 2 Will Be Shorter Than the First Season

The Last of Us was a smash hit when it was released on HBO last year, and fans have been eager for more episodes since it aired. Season 2 of The Last of Us is still in production, but the show’s creators have dropped more details about the upcoming season, including the episode count.

In an interview with Deadline, The Last of Us showrunner Craig Mazin revealed that season 2 of the critically acclaimed show will be shorter than the first. While the first season lasted nine episodes, the second will instead be seven episodes long — although it’s said that at least one of the episodes is a bit longer than the usual episode.

Mazin also revealed that the second season of The Last of Us won’t cover all of the content contained in the game that inspired it, The Last of Us Part 2, because it’s got a lot more story material. Instead, the game’s story will be told across multiple seasons.

“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,” Mazin told Deadline, “So part of what we had to do from the start was figure out how to tell that story across seasons.”

Mazin even hinted that there could be four or more seasons in total, saying that he doesn’t “see how [he] could tell the story that remains after season 2 is complete in one more season.”

The Last of Us won dozens of awards following its release last year, including eight wins at the Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards, two wins at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, and many more. Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, who portrayed dual leads Joel and Ellie, respectively, were praised for their performances by fans and critics alike, and the show was named by many as the best video game adaptation to date.

Filming on The Last of Us season 2 is ongoing, and it’s expected to premiere in 2025.