"The Last of Us Season 2 Trailer Shatters HBO Records Prematurely"

The excitement for the second season of *The Last of Us* is palpable, even though it hasn't premiered yet. The buzz around it intensified with the release of the Season 2 trailer during a SXSW panel, which has smashed records by garnering over 158 million views across platforms within just three days, according to Warner Brothers Discovery. This monumental viewership marks a new high for HBO and Max original programming, surpassing previous promotional trailers 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 fervor for the show is undeniable, with both new and returning fans eagerly awaiting the next installment. Season 1 episodes are now averaging around 32 million viewers across platforms domestically, a significant leap from the 8.2 million same-day viewers the Season 1 finale attracted in March 2023, as reported by Deadline. This surge in viewership reflects the show's growing appeal and the anticipation for Season 2.

The Last of Us Season 2 Character Posters

3 Images

Season 2 will feature a five-year time jump, diving deeper into the tumultuous journey of Joel and Ellie as they navigate a world that's become even more perilous and unpredictable. Returning stars Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Gabriel Luna, and Rutina Wesley will be joined by new talents like Kaitlyn Dever, Isabella Merced, Catherine O’Hara, and Jeffrey Wright, promising an exciting new chapter.

During the SXSW panel, showrunners Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin revealed a significant change: the return of spores, which were absent in Season 1. The trailer hints at this with a scene showing Ellie, portrayed by Bella Ramsey, encountering an infected whose breath releases the deadly spores. Druckmann emphasized an increase in both the number and variety of infected, along with new ways the infection spreads, stating, "Season 1, we had this new thing that wasn’t in the game of these tendrils that spread, and that was one form. And then one shot you see in this trailer, there are things in the air."

Mazin confirmed, "spores are back," and Druckmann explained their reintroduction, saying, "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 of introducing it now. And there is."

Mark your calendars: *The Last of Us* Season 2 premieres on April 13, 2025, on HBO and HBO Max, promising an even more thrilling continuation of this gripping saga.