MANILA, Philippines – A second season of HBO’s hit video game adaptation The Last of Us has been confirmed, according to Variety and Deadline.

The renewal comes just before the third episode is set to air on HBO and HBO Max.

“I’m humbled, honored, and frankly overwhelmed that so many people have tuned in and connected with our retelling of Joel and Ellie’s journey,” said executive producer Neil Druckmann, who was also the creative head and writer of the Naughty Dog video game franchise.

“The collaboration with Craig Mazin, our incredible cast & crew, and HBO exceeded my already high expectations. Now we have the absolute pleasure of being able to do it again with season two,” he added.

Details on season two’s production timeline, release date, plot, and official cast have yet to be released.

The critically-acclaimed series has seen commercial success and positive reviews since its debut on January 15, with its first episode reaching over 22 million domestic viewers alone.

The Last of Us is a post-apocalyptic drama that takes place 20 years after a fungal virus ravaged humanity, turning the infected into primitive zombies. Joel, played by Pedro Pascal, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie, played by Bella Ramsey, out of a military quarantine zone. What starts out as a small job soon becomes a brutal cross-country journey that pushes the two protagonists to depend on each other for survival.

It also stars Gabriel Luna as Tommy, Anna Torv as Tess, Nico Parker as Sarah, Murray Bartlett as Frank, Nick Offerman as Bill, Melanie Lynskey as Kathleen, and many others. – Rappler.com