Warning: Full spoilers for The Last of Us Season 2 ahead.
Season 2 of The Last of Us pushed boundaries not just in storytelling, but in how it was made – a labor of love and sleepless nights from an entire team of creatives who made the show’s most crucial episodes unforgettable. At IGN Live 2025, Co-Creator Craig Mazin took the stage with the series’ behind-the-scenes heroes, humbly shifting credit toward the hardworking crew who made the series come to life. ‘Neil [Druckmann] and I are vastly over-credited,’ Mazin said. 
‘These people are the soul of the show.’
Two episodes dominated the conversation: Episode 2, “Through the Valley,” and Episode 6, “The Price.” The second episode’s heart-pounding infected horde sequence attacking Jackson demanded nearly every department’s full force. VFX Supervisor Alex Wang said nearly every frame needed digital effects, with Production Designer Don Macaulay joking about the endless meetings it took to decide how barrels would launch from the gates. ‘Craig loves meetings,’ he laughed. ‘Each shot had like 10 meetings – no joke.’
Costume Designer Ann Foley revealed the logistical nightmare behind coordinating outfits for over 65 actors across three filming units while also preparing the Seraphite designs. Every thread had to tell a story. Meanwhile, Wang emphasized how vital previs and constant collaboration were: “You’re planning for success 6-8 months down the line.”
Creating the infected horde itself nearly broke Wētā FX. Mazin insisted each infected look unique to reflect their once-human pasts – a huge ask in a world where digital repetition is standard. Editor Timothy Good faced his own challenges. Often, he edited scenes with no effects completed – just placeholders like green dots where a Bloater would be. ‘Sometimes we lock a cut, then animation comes in and everything’s off – motion’s faster than any actor could replicate. So back to the editing bay.’
And then came Joel’s death. Composer David Fleming said scoring Episode 2 meant building constant momentum. ‘Relentless, relentless, relentless,’ he repeated. For Joel’s final scene, Fleming initially went with a complex score, only to be told by Mazin: ‘Strip it back.’ Less was more. Good admitted he edited the moment five times before daring to show it to Mazin.
The infamous golf club? Yes, even that sparked debate. Mazin laughed, ‘We had a whole discussion about which one she’d use.’
In Episode 6, things got more emotional with Joel and Ellie’s flashbacks. The scene with Ellie climbing the dinosaur – a favorite moment from the game – was a technical headache due to a wobbly prop that had to be digitally re-wobbled to look real. The attention to detail extended to wardrobe, where Ellie’s top was switched from a tank to a baggier tee to make Bella Ramsey appear younger.
Cinematographer Ksenia Sereda was especially nervous about recreating the game’s iconic space capsule scene. Her solution? Lighting everything practically through a tiny window – no effects needed. ‘The game was the most expensive previs I’ve ever worked with,’ she joked. For Mazin, this scene meant everything. It was the first thing Druckmann showed him from Part II. ‘I thought, we have to earn this. We need Season 1 to be good enough so we get the chance.’
Season 2 might have been divisive for fans, but behind the scenes, it was a masterclass in collaboration, technical artistry, and respect for source material – no matter how polarizing the final result felt on screen.