The critically lauded and highly anticipated second season of The Last of Us premieres on Apr. 13. After more than two years since the first season premiered, the video game adaptation is returning to HBO and its streaming platform, Max.
Meanwhile, Kalshi, one of the top prediction platforms, has launched a market on Season 2’s Rotten Tomatoes score. Given the first season’s critical success, it’s no surprise bettors have high expectations—but how high can they go?.
With a low of 95.8 and a high of 97.6, the forecasted score hasn’t seen much fluctuation yet. As of Apr. 3, the market has a trading volume of $5,450 and will resolve on Apr. 14 at 10:00 am ET.
Are Rotten Tomatoes bettors overestimating their predicted scores? Let’s take a look.
'The Last of Us' Rotten Tomatoes Predictions
- Above 92 (74%)
- Above 90 (93%)
- Above 85 (74%)
What is ‘The Last of Us’?
The Last of Us is based on a video game created by Naught Dog and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The original zombie video game was released in 2013 and written/directed by Neil Druckmann.
Shortly after, in 2014, Druckmann was tasked with writing the film adaptation of the The Last of Us. Following many delays, Chernobyl writer Craig Mazin was chosen to write a television series adaptation of The Last of Us. Druckmann was still attached to co-write alongside Mazin.
In 2003, a parasitic fungal infection ravaged the planet, turning humans into violent creatures known as the Infected. Twenty years later, hardened survivor Joel (Pedro Pascal) is hired to smuggle 14-year-old Ellie (Bella Ramsey) to the rebel Fireflies. Season 2 of The Last of Us picks up five years after the events of Season 1. Joel and Ellie’s collective past catches up to them, drawing them into conflict with each other and a world even more dangerous and unpredictable than the one they left behind.
The first season’s cast includes Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey as the leads, with many guest stars, including Melanie Lynskey and Anna Torv. The second season is expected to adapt part of the story of the second game, The Last of Us Part II.
‘The Last of Us’ season 1 critical reception
The first season of The Last of Us was a massive hit for HBO. It was the most-watched debut season on HBO ever, with over 40 million people watching the premiere in its first two months.
It received a 96% Certified Fresh Rotten Tomatoes score from over 475 critical reviews. The Rotten Tomatoes’ critical consensus says:
Retaining the most addictive aspects of its beloved source material while digging deeper into the story, The Last of Us is bingeworthy TV that ranks among the all-time greatest video game adaptations.
The show’s critical success translated into a bevy of awards. The series was nominated for 24 Emmy nominations and won eight of them. It also received wins and nominations from the Screen Actors Guild Awards, the Golden Globes, and the Critics’ Choice Television Awards, to name a few.
Video game live-action TV series adaptations on Rotten Tomatoes
While The Last of Us was a massive success for the video game world, other video game adaptations haven’t been received as well.
TV Series | Rotten Tomatoes Score |
Resident Evil (2022) | 53% |
Halo (2022-2024) | 80% |
Twisted Metal (2023-Present) | 67% |
The Last of Us (2023-Present) | 96% |
Like a Dragon: Yakuza (2024) | 69% |
Knuckles (2024) | 75% |
Fallout (2024-Present) | 94% |
Since 2022, the television adaptations have performed well overall. The same isn’t true for film adaptations of video games. If you look at Rotten Tomatoes’ list of 55 Video Game Movies Ranked by Tomatometer, most of the movies have a score of 35 or lower, with only seven projects scoring a Fresh score.
Besides 2022’s Resident Evil, all the TV show adaptations have scored Fresh scores with an average score of 76. Perhaps, the TV format is a better medium for the video game world.
i went to the season 2 premiere of the last of us tonight in sydney.
— jimbo 🐝 (@vanscargoshorts) April 2, 2025
and all i can say is that i am speechless. the episode was incredible. 10/10. pic.twitter.com/o3cB6pxZiI
Positive early reactions are slowly rolling in. Given the high anticipation and impressive performance of the first season, the second season is likely to perform well, too. While living up to expectations is difficult, Last of Us season two is expected to have a strong sophomore season.
