January 27, 2023

HBO announced today that The Last of Us has been renewed for a second season. The good news comes just two episodes into the drama's freshman run, which is off to a strong start.

The series marks the network's second largest debut ever, behind only 'House of the Dragon.' Its first episode has already surpassed 22 million viewers, which is five times larger than its premiere night audience. Episode 2 garnered 5.7 million viewers across its linear broadcast and HBO Max on Sunday night, adding over one million viewers compared to premiere night.

"I'm humbled, honored, and frankly overwhelmed that so many people have tuned in and connected with our retelling of Joel and Ellie's journey. The collaboration with Craig Mazin, our incredible cast & crew, and HBO exceeded my already high expectations," said executive producer Neil Druckmann. "Now we have the absolute pleasure of being able to do it again with season two! On behalf of everyone at Naughty Dog & PlayStation, thank you!"

Set two decades after modern civilization has collapsed, The Last of Us follows a hardened survivor named Joel, who is hired to smuggle a 14-year-old girl out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What was intended as a small job soon becomes a brutal and heartbreaking journey as the two traverse the United States and depend on each other for survival.