HBO’s adaptation of The Last of Us will see significant changes as Neil Druckmann and Halley Gross step away from their roles. Druckmann, who co-created the original The Last of Us game and directed The Last of Us Part 2, took to Instagram to break the news:

“I’ve made the difficult decision to step away from my creative involvement in The Last of Us on HBO. 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 expressed gratitude for his collaborative experience:

“Co-creating the show has been a career highlight. It’s been an honor to work alongside Craig Mazin to executive produce, direct, and write on the last two seasons. I’m deeply thankful for the thoughtful approach and dedication the talented cast and crew took to adapting The Last of Us Part 1 and the continued adaptation of The Last of Us Part 2.”

Gross also shared her departure on Instagram, stating:

“With great care and consideration, I’ve decided to take a step back from my day-to-day work on HBO’s The Last of Us to make space for what comes next. I’m so appreciative of how special this experience has been. Working alongside Neil, Craig, HBO, and this remarkable cast and crew has been life changing. The stories we told—about love, loss, and what it means to be human in a terrifying world—are exactly why I love this franchise. I have some truly rad projects ahead that I can’t wait to share, but for now, I want to express my gratitude to everyone who brought Ellie and Joel’s world to life with such care.”

This development raises concerns about the show’s future direction as it prepares to expand into its third and fourth seasons without its original creative leads.