Neil Druckmann, the studio head of Naughty Dog and co-creator of The Last of Us, has announced he will step away from his leadership role in HBO’s The Last of Us series. Druckmann made the announcement on social media, saying that now is the right time for him to give his “complete focus” to Naughty Dog’s next projects, especially their new game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.
Druckmann’s departure comes after work finished on the show’s second season and before any major work has started on season three. This leaves Craig Mazin as the sole showrunner for the HBO adaptation going forward. Mazin has not started writing the third season yet.
“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,” Druckmann wrote.
The decision means Druckmann will not be creatively involved in the next season of The Last of Us show, though he says co-creating the series has been a highlight of his career. He thanked Craig Mazin, the cast, and crew for their dedication in adapting the video game to television.
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is Druckmann’s next big project as writer and director. Naughty Dog has also confirmed they are working on another unannounced game, with Druckmann acting as a producer.
The Last of Us TV series is expected to continue for at least two more seasons.
