Paging Dr. Robby, your shift just got extended. Yes, almost exactly 24 hours before HBO Max’s <em>The Pitt</em> returns for its highly anticipated Season 2, the smash-hit and Emmy-winning medical drama from Noah Wyle has officially been renewed for Season 3. The surprise renewal was officially announced by HBO Boss Casey Bloys tonight during the Season 2 premiere event in LA, a mere day before the premiere episode of Season 2 is released to the masses on January 8, 2026. Apart from that, not much else has been revealed, but the renewal comes as no surprise. Bloys and other creatives behind The Pitt have consistently emphasized keeping the show as an annual series for many years to come, so the Season 3 renewal is likely just the beginning.

The Pitt became one of HBO Max’s most successful shows after definitively scratching the itch that fans of Wyle’s earliest claim to fame, ER, previously sated. What sets The Pitt apart from other medical dramas is how it not only takes great lengths to portray the world of emergency medicine as accurately as possible, but also does so in real time, with each episode set over the course of an hour in a single ER shift. The attention to detail did not go unnoticed by critics, as the series went on to win 5 Emmys, including the prestigious Best Drama award.

Season 1 of The Pitt introduced audiences to Dr. Michael Robinavitch — the attending no-nonsense physician at one of the busiest and most understaffed emergency rooms in Pittsburgh. His shift is already off to an unusual start thanks to this being a big training day for the new batch of young doctors coming in to work the ER for the very first time, and that’s in between the drama with his former flame Dr. Heather Collins (Tracy Ifeachor, who surprisingly will not be returning for Season 2) and accusations of drug theft leading to his close friend Dr. Frank Langdon (Patrick Ball). All of those issues pale in comparison to what Robby and his team face in the latter half of their shift when a shooting at a nearby festival puts all hands on deck for a devastating mass casualty-level event.

What Happens in ‘The Pitt’ Season 2?

The Pitt Season 2 picks up about 1 year after Season 1, now taking place on one of the busiest and most infamous days for any ER, the Fourth of July. It also happens to be the first day Dr. Langdon is back in the office after falling out with Robby and the last day of Robby’s before he takes a sabbatical. Again, personal vendettas and issues will have to go on hold as the titular Pitt treats all manner of patients, especially when the hospital loses access to their computer systems and has to take an impromptu analog route.

The Pitt Season 2 premieres on Thursday, January 8, 2026, on HBO Max. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates on Season 3.