Neil Druckmann, the co-creator and co-showrunner of the critically-acclaimed HBO series "The Last Of Us", has decided to take a step back from the show's upcoming third season.

"The Last Of Us", which features Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsay, is based on the video game franchise of the same name, which was created by Druckmann and produced by Naughty Dog. He served as the creator, showrunner, writer and director alongside Craig Mazin.

Druckmann announced his exit from the series in a statement posted on the official Instagram account of Naughty Dog.

“I’ve made the difficult decision to step away from my creative involvement in 'The Last of Us' on HBO. With work completed on season two and before any meaningful work starts on season three, now is the right time for me to transition my complete focus to Naughty Dog and its future projects, including writing and directing our exciting next game, 'Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet', along with my responsibilities as Studio Head and Head of Creative," he said.

Druckmann further said that creating "The Last of Us" series has been a "career highlight" for him.

“It’s been an honor to work alongside Craig Mazin to executive produce, direct and write on the last two seasons. I’m deeply thankful for the thoughtful approach and dedication the talented cast and crew took to adapting 'The Last of Us Part I' and the continued adaptation of 'The Last of Us Part II'," he added.

Besides Druckmann, co-writer and executive producer Halley Gross is also exiting the series, she announced on social media.

"The Last of Us" started in 2022 with its first season, which took place 20 years after modern civilization was destroyed by a deadly virus.

It featured Pascal as Joel, a hardened survivor, who is hired to smuggle Ellie (Ramsey), a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone to the Fireflies, a cure-searching organization.

The second season, which came out earlier this year, picks up five years after the events of the first season, Joel and Ellie are drawn into conflict with each other and a world even more dangerous and unpredictable than the one they left behind.

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