The anticipation for The Last of Us Season 2 is palpable, even before its premiere. The recently released trailer, unveiled at SXSW, has already amassed over 158 million views across platforms in just three days—a record for HBO and Max original programming, surpassing previous promotional material by at least 160%, according to Warner Brothers Discovery. This staggering viewership demonstrates the show's explosive growth in popularity. Season 1 episodes average around 32 million cross-platform viewers domestically, a significant increase compared to the 8.2 million same-day viewers for the Season 1 finale (per Deadline). This surge in viewership highlights the immense anticipation for the next chapter and underscores the show's remarkable success as one of HBO's most popular series in recent years.

The Last of Us Season 2 Character Posters

Season 2 leaps forward five years, depicting Joel and Ellie entangled in a conflict with each other and a world far more perilous than before. Returning stars Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Gabriel Luna, and Rutina Wesley are joined by newcomers Kaitlyn Dever, Isabella Merced, Catherine O’Hara, and Jeffrey Wright.

At the SXSW panel, showrunners Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin confirmed the return of spores, a key element absent from Season 1. The trailer hints at their reintroduction, showcasing Ellie encountering an infected whose breath releases spores. Druckmann explained an "escalation of numbers and types of infected," along with a shift in the infection's spread. He noted that Season 1 featured tendrils as a new infection vector, while the trailer reveals airborne elements. Mazin confirmed the spores' return, with Druckmann emphasizing the dramatic necessity of their introduction at this point in the narrative.

The Last of Us Season 2 premieres April 13, 2025, on HBO and HBO Max.