What’s Really Happened With The Last of Us Season 3 Filming (No, It’s Not Cancelled)

The Last of Us Season 2 finale left fans on a massive cliffhanger, which not only left a pivotal confrontation (and some potential big deaths) to mystery, but also revealed that the entire format of the show would be changing. Naturally, that’s put a big spotlight on The Last of Us Season 3, and it should surprise no one that production on Season 3 is getting the most scrutiny the show has ever had to endure.

Fans of The Last of Us were most certainly paying attention when reports started coming out that production on Season 3 had been suspended. With no solid answers, rumor and speculation have run rampant, to the point that many are wondering: has HBO cancelled The Last of Us Season 3?

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Is The Last of Us Season 3 Cancelled?

Short answer: No. The Last of Us Season is 100% not cancelled. According to current production listings, shooting on The Last of Us Season 3 has been put on “hiatus” for almost the entire month of June (1st – 28th).

Why Is The Last of Us Season 3 on Hiatus?

Production on The Last of Us Season 3 (listed under the production title of “Calm Current – Season 3”) was taking place in Burnaby, British Columbia, the neighboring city to Vancouver. Vancouver is one of two cities in Canada set to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup (the other is Toronto). The tournament will last from June 11th to July 19th; however, Vancouver will host seven matches at BC Place Stadium between June 13th and July 7th.

The Last of Us Season 3 has suspended production due to all the heightened activity in the region from the FIFA World Cup. It’s easy to presume that HBO and the team behind the show (led by Craig Mazin and game co-creator Neil Druckmann) saw too many potential logistical and/or safety issues when trying to film the show, house and feed the crew, and generally move around the region. They also probably want to ensure there are no extra prying eyes around when trying to film; Exterior shoots always result in photo and video leaks from the set, as both paparazzi and content creators wait in perch to snap long-range shots.

What Is The Last of Us Season 3 About?

MAJOR SPOILERS! The Last of Us Season 2 saw Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) estranged from one another, five years after Joel waged war to take Ellie back from the rebel group, the Fireflies. and lying to the young girl about whether the fatal procedure to extract her DNA could have provided a cure for the deadly fungal infection that destroyed America.

Neither Ellie nor Joel saw it coming when a surviving faction of the Fireflies (led by their obsessive leader, Abby) travels from Seattle to Jackson, Wyoming, to track down and execute Joel. Ellie was left broken and fueled with the same rage for vengeance that led Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) to Joel; she and her friend, Dina (Isabela Merced), tracked Abby’s group back to Seattle and began taking their vengeance, only to learn it was going to be far more brutal and bloody than they planned. Ellie’s mission took a turn when Abby got the drop on her, Dina, and some allies that came to aid them, ending with a cut to black as Abby started dropping bodies.

Season 2 ended with the reveal that The Last of Us Season 3 will be telling its story (at least a major part of it) from Abby’s perspective. That’s a plot twist taken from The Last of Us Part II video game, but for TV viewers, it was a massive shock. The divisive reactions to Season 2, particularly Joel’s death (and Pedro Pascal’s exit from the show), have only fueled the rumors that HBO has lost confidence in The Last of Us. But again, so far, The Last of Us TV series looks set to finish its run, either in Season 3 or Season 4 (if they stretch it).

The Last of Us Season 3 does not have a premiere date, but it will air in 2027.