The Last of Us star Bella Ramsey, who plays the rebellious and defiant teenager Ellie in HBO's post-apocalyptic series created by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, addressed the latter's shocking departure from the franchise.The Last of Us is based on the popular video game franchise developed by Naughty Dog, which was renewed for a third season even before the second season premiere. Neil Druckmann, the co-creator of the series and the studio head of Naughty Dog, announced his departure from the adaptation in July 2025, leaving Mazin as the sole showrunner.While the news was certainly shocking, Ramsey addressed Druckmann's departure during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter at the 2026 Critics' Choice Awards:"I think that he left us in such good stead. He still will always be part of the fabric, it's literally his creation, the whole world. So, he's still there even though he's not. So, I think it'll be fine."The actresses’ remarks make it clear that even though Druckmann will no longer have a direct creative role in The Last of Us Season 3, his influence on the series is far from over. Built on his vision and storytelling foundation, the fictional universe will continue to carry his imprint, ensuring that his presence remains woven into the narrative long after his departure.More on this in our story.Neil Druckmann left The Last of Us after the Season 2 finale View this post on Instagram Instagram PostNeil Druckmann announced his departure from The Last of Us after the premiere of the Season 2 finale. The Naughty Dog head broke his silence and confirmed there is no bad blood between him and the show. Druckmann's decision to leave the popular project stemmed from careful planning and his goal to expand the video game's fanbase.In his interview with Variety, Druckmann addressed his departure:''I wanted to elevate ‘The Last of Us‘ beyond the people that have played the game... I felt like that story could find a bigger audience for people that will never play video games.''Since he was able to achieve this goal with flying colors, he left it in Mazin's hands. Druckmann added:''It was such a crazy goal, but now I felt like the path has been set for it. It was time to go back to the thing that started it all, which is just full-time video game work. But other things are coming and we can announce more things soon.”The Last of Us was already a popular video game franchise but the HBO adaptation only elevated its status. The sophomore season averaged almost 37 million global viewers per episode, a major increase from the first outing, which garnered 32 million viewers in 90 days. Critics and audiences were especially impressed with Pedro Pascal and Ramsey's chemistry, calling the former's performance his career best.In addition to these viewership numbers, Season 1 boosted video game sales, bringing four million new players and increasing the franchise's engagement by 150%.What can you expect from The Last of Us Season 3? View this post on Instagram Instagram PostDruckmann's decision to leave the popular adaptation was purely creative but The Last of Us Season 3 could take a different direction after his departure. The third entry is expected to start filming in March 2026 with Craig Mazin as the sole showrunner, who also plans to direct the first two episodes.In addition to navigating Druckmann's departure, the third entry will be significantly larger and longer than the previous installments, as it will adapt the second half of The Last of Us Part II video game. Fans can expect a tonal shift as the perspective changes to Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) and her members of the Washington Liberation Front. After Abby's harrowing actions in Season 2, fans are eagerly anticipating her side of the story, which will also feature Dina, Ellie, and other returning characters in some capacity. Abby's story is certainly one of the defining sequences from the video game franchise, which will be adapted in the upcoming season, expected to debut in 2027 on HBO.For the latest scoops on your favorite TV shows and movies, follow SoapCentral.