Now a beloved name in the space of TV as well as in video gaming, The Last of Us has upheld a very high level of quality between the medium and across three installments to date. In video gaming, the first game from 2013 received glittering reviews from fans and critics, and the second upheld its critical acclaim.
In 2023, the first game was adapted into a TV show starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey. Now, TV and gaming fans are clamoring for news on the next steps for the fungal-plagued world of The Last of Us.
Season 2 of the TV show confirmed and could bring in more infected
One criticism that fans of the video game translations have leveled at the TV show is the relative lack of Infected seen on the screen. However, to adapt the game for TV, this was necessary. It certainly helped to make the appearance of the dreaded Bloater just past the halfway mark all the more impactful.
That’s as far as the TV show got down the pandemic fungal infection track of The Last of Us. According to this track, it takes several years for Bloaters to come into being, but there’s even worse to come for the stars of The Last of Us in the show. Part II in the games introduces two new, even more grotesque abominations formed from the fungus.
So, Season 2 of The Last of Us will almost certainly include the Shamblers, which can spray acid. If the confirmed second season decides to only adapt the first half of The Last of Us Part II, the Shamblers may be the most dreaded addition. If not, or if there’s a Season 3, the infected could mold together into the mighty Rat King.
Will The Last of Us get a Part III game?
As laid out in this look at the show and games of The Last of Us and their potential plans, making two seasons that adapt The Last of Us Part II would take the production to late 2025 or early 2026. Given that there were seven years between the first two games, with Uncharted 4 in between, then perhaps this would align with the release of The Last of Us Part 3 by early 2026.
Were this to be the case, Season 4 of The Last of Us could adapt Part III. However, the original game’s director and writer, Neil Druckmann, has said that there isn’t any pressure on Naughty Dog to get a Part III in the works. It’ll only come to fruition if they can concoct a meaningful story to continue the series.
In the meantime, there will be another installment to The Last of Us series, this time in the form of a multiplayer spin-off from the same developers. The project has been in development for a while and will be the studio’s next major release, with more information to come later in 2023.
The games and now the TV show have dazzled critics and viewers alike, but it looks like we’ll have to wait for at least one more year before we see the next installment to the series, be it on PlayStation or HBO.
