"The Last of Us Season 2 Trailer Shatters HBO Records Before Premiere"

The anticipation for the second season of The Last of Us is palpable, even though it hasn't yet arrived. The buzz around the upcoming season was amplified with the release of the latest trailer during a SXSW panel, which quickly amassed over 158 million views across various platforms in just three days. According to Warner Brothers Discovery, this represents a record-breaking achievement for HBO and Max original programming, surpassing previous promotional efforts for the show by a staggering 160%.

You can’t stop this.

#TheLastOfUs returns April 13 on Max. pic.twitter.com/DH8UzAugIV

— Max (@StreamOnMax) March 8, 2025

The series' popularity continues to soar as both new and returning fans eagerly await Season 2. The first season's episodes have been averaging around 32 million cross-platform viewers domestically, marking a significant increase from the Season 1 finale, which attracted 8.2 million same-day viewers across platforms in March 2023, as reported by Deadline. This surge in viewership underscores the immense popularity of the series, positioning it as one of HBO's most successful shows in recent years.

The Last of Us Season 2 Character Posters

3 Images

Season 2 will feature a significant five-year time jump, continuing the journey of Joel and Ellie as they navigate a world that's increasingly perilous and unpredictable. Returning stars include Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Gabriel Luna, and Rutina Wesley, with new additions to the cast such as Kaitlyn Dever, Isabella Merced, Catherine O’Hara, and Jeffrey Wright.

During the SXSW panel, showrunners Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin revealed that spores, which were absent in Season 1, will make a return. The trailer hinted at this with a scene showing Ellie, portrayed by Bella Ramsey, encountering an infected whose breath releases spores.

Druckmann elaborated on the escalation of the infected in Season 2, stating, "There is an escalation of numbers and types of infected, but also, as you see in the trailer, an escalation of the vector of how this thing spreads." He highlighted the introduction of new elements like tendrils in Season 1 and now spores in the air as seen in the trailer. Mazin confirmed the spores' return, emphasizing the dramatic necessity for their inclusion this season. Druckmann added, "The reason [we’re doing it now], I mean, we really wanted to figure it out, and again, everything has to be drama. There had to be a dramatic reason for introducing it now. And there is."

Season 2 of The Last of Us is set to premiere on April 13, 2025, on HBO and HBO Max, promising viewers an intensified and gripping continuation of the story.