Neil Druckmann, best known for his work as creative lead on Naughty Dog's successful The Last of Us series, has announced he will step down from his "creative involvement" with HBO's adaptation of the games in order to focus on his work with Naughty Dog.
In a message on social media, Druckmann says the decision to step away from the show was "difficult", but that he wants to "transition [his] complete focus to Naughty Dog and its future projects", including the upcoming Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, on which Druckmann serves as writer and director.
Druckmann says that working on HBO's The Last of Us series as a co-creator "has been a career highlight", and that now, after the completion of series two and "before any meaningful work starts on season three", is the "right time" to step away.
The first season of The Last of Us debuted back in early 2023, quickly earning critical acclaim for its faithfulness to the source material, as well as for the performances of leads Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, who play Joel and Ellie respectively.
When the second season aired earlier this year, the response from audiences, as well as some critics, was...
