HBO’s highly acclaimed series, The Last of Us, has revealed shocking news surrounding the team for their upcoming season. According to Screenrant, the game creator and co-writer, Neil Druckmann (Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End) and Halley Gross (Westworld, Broad City), withdrew from the series before the production on the third season began. Series actress Isabel Merced (Alien: Romulus, Superman), who plays Dina, shared her response to the news.

According to Screenrant, Isabela speaks with TVLine about her reaction of the Druckmann and Gross’s departure,”Halley was a big part of the game, and the reason why Dina was such a fleshed-out character, and why that love between Dina and Ellie was so beautiful. And I was really looking forward to working with them more, but I understand that they have their own projects. I don’t know the full story, but I know that I trust in the team, and that they’re making the best decisions, cause at the end of the day everyone just cares about this.”

Merecd further goes into detail with Screenrant, saying, “But moving forward, I’m going to keep in touch with them. I’m definitely going to keep in touch with them, so if I have any concerns as a fan of the game, originally, I would definitely bring them up. I’m not involved with the behind-the-scenes of it all, I wish I was, cause I’m a control freak, but I trust in Craig [Mazin].”

According to Screenrant, the plot for the third season will follow the events of the previous seasons, but from the perspective of Abby, played by Kaitlyn Dever (Booksmart, Last Man Standing). The story will explore Abby’s transformation after Joel, portrayed by Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian, The Fantastic Four: First Steps), kills her father while rescuing Ellie, played by Bella Ramsey (Game of Thrones, His Dark Materials). After seeking her vengeance, Abby embarks on a journey to rediscover her purpose.

Production of the third season is speculated to start sometime in late 2026 to early 2027, while waiting viewers can watch the previous two season of The Last of Us on HBO Max.