Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckmann has announced he is stepping away from HBO’s The Last of Us.

In a statement on social media, Druckmann said it was “the right time” to transition to focus on future projects at Naughty Dog, including Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.

“With work completed on season 2 and before any meaningful work starts on season 3, now is the right time for me to transition my complete focus to Naughty Dog and its future projects, including writing and directing Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet along with my responsibilities as studio head and head of creative,” he explained.

“Co-creating the show has been a career highlight. It’s been an honour to work alongside Craig Mazin to executive produce, direct, and write on the last two seasons.

Druckmann concluded: “I’m deeply thankful for the thoughtful approach and dedication the talented cast and crew took adapting The Last of Us Part 1 and the continued adaptation of The Last of Us Part 2.”

Executive producer and writer Halley Gross also announced her departure on Instagram. She co-wrote The Last of Us Part 2 with Druckmann.

“With great care and consideration, I’ve decided to take a step back from my day-to-day work on HBO’s The Last of Us to make space for what comes next,” she wrote.

“I’m so appreciative of how special this experience has been. Working alongside Neil, Craig, HBO, and this remarkable cast and crew has been lift changing. The stories we told – about love, loss, and what it means to be human in a terrifying world – are exactly why I love this franchise.”

Gross added: “I have some truly rad projects ahead that I can’t wait to share, but for now, I want to express my gratitude to everyone who brought Ellie and Joel’s world to life with such care.”

In response to Druckmann and Gross’ exits, The Last of Us showrunner Craig Mazin said he was “grateful to Neil and Halley for entrusting us with this incredible story”.

“It’s been a creative dream to work with Neil and bring an adaptation of his brilliant work to life on HBO,” said Mazin (via Variety).

“I couldn’t have asked for a more generous creative partner. As a true fan of Naughty Dog and Neil’s work in video games, I’m beyond excited to play his next game. While he focuses on that, I’ll continue to work with our brilliant cast and crew to deliver the show our audience has come to expect.”

Mazin continued: “We are so grateful to Neil and Halley for entrusting us the incredible story of The Last of Us Part 2 to us, and we’re just as grateful to the millions of people around the world who tune in.”

HBO’s The Last of Us was renewed for a third season ahead of its second series premiere this April. Ratings for season two grew by 10%, with 5.3 million viewers tuning in to its first episode.

The Last of Us adaptation was announced in 2020, and was the first television series produced by PlayStation Productions.