Mr. Robot's upcoming fourth season will officially be its last. The critically acclaimed TV show will return for just 12 more episodes in 2019 before calling it a day.

The drama, created by Sam Esmail and starring Rami Malek, was commissioned for a fourth 8-episode season last December, and while there were talks of potentially doing a fifth, the writers decided to expand the upcoming season to 12 episodes instead.

"When I first created the world of 'Mr. Robot', I thought it would be a niche television series with a small, cult following. Over the past three years, it has become so much more, and I am continually humbled by the show’s recognition and by the amazing cast and crew that work tirelessly to help bring my vision to life," Esmail told The Hollywood Reporter.

"Since day one, I’ve been building toward one conclusion - and in breaking the next season of 'Mr. Robot', I have decided that conclusion is finally here. Everyone on the creative team, including the amazing people at USA and UCP, didn't want to say goodbye, but we ultimately have too much respect for Elliot's journey to extend past its inevitable ending. Therefore, season four will serve as the final chapter of the 'Mr. Robot story'. To fans of the show: thank you for the past three years, and I can't wait to share this exciting final season with you."

The decision won't have come as too much of a surprise to Rami Malek, who also stars in the upcoming Queen biopic 'Bohemian Rhapsody', he told THR after the season three finale: "I've always said it's four or five seasons, and I've said that because I think it's somewhere in between.

"Whether that means the next two seasons are two short seasons, or it could technically still be two full 10-episode seasons, we're still kind of figuring that out. It's something the writers room and I take very seriously. We never want to feel like we're treading water. Hopefully it fits into two more seasons, but we're trying to figure out that number."

While USA Network president Chris McCumber said: "From the beginning, 'Mr. Robot' proved to be a show unlike any other on television, capturing the zeitgeist of our modern times with a unique point of view and definitive vision. Working with Sam and the entire cast and crew has been nothing short of incredible - and we can’t wait to reveal the complete 'Mr. Robot' story."