Is The Last of Us TV show canon to the games? Answered

HBO’s The Last of Us has fans eager to try out yet another adaptation of a popular video game. For some Last of Us devotees fans, it may be unclear if this new series is adding to the established universe of the games and will be canonical. Below, we’ll go over the details and answers you are looking for regarding whether The Last of Us TV show is in the games’ official canon.

Related: The Last of Us developers hype multiplayer while celebrating the franchise’s 10-year anniversary

Is The Last of Us TV series canonical?

To put it simply, the HBO series is not canonical to the video games. Like most TV and film adaptations of video games, the series will have its own continuity and timeline and will be a separate universe, likely with some differences and changes from the games.

It’s not uncommon for adaptations to change or alter certain aspects of the source material, and that’s something both showrunner Craig Mazin and the game’s creator Neil Druckmann wrestled with during the show’s production. Mazin quoted Druckmann, saying that the writers “can change anything, but we need to talk about why. And if there’s not a good reason — if we can’t do better — let’s deliver what we have.'” Druckmann has also given some insight into why certain changes were made, saying that “there’s things that work in the game that would just not work in the show,” explaining that if you were to shoot and portray the show exactly like the game, it could get boring.

Related: The Last of Us television show might be better than the video game, if you believe TV critics

The Last of Us stars Pedro Pascal and Belle Ramsey as the game’s main protagonists, Joel and Ellie, respectively. The series is based on the 2013 game The Last of Us, which takes place in a post-apocalyptic America ravaged by a fungus-based virus. In both the game and the series, Joel is escorting Ellie, a young teenager immune to the virus and the last hope for a cure, across America, dealing with humans and infected alike on their journey. The Last of Us will premiere on January 15 on HBO in the U.S. and January 16 in the U.K.