The Last of Us Developer Says It Was Hard To Keep Its New Game A Secret

Keeping Integalactic: The Heretic Prophet A Secret

"Really Hard" To Work In Silence

Naughty Dog CEO Neil Druckmann shared that it was "really hard" to work on their newest project, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, and keep silent about it for several years. He was well-aware of the current view of the company by fans, who were increasingly getting tired of the remasters and remakes (especially of The Last of Us) coming but without any new series.

"It’s really hard to work on these things in secret and silence for so many years," Druckmann shared to The New York Times. “And then to see our fans go on social media and say, ‘Enough with the remasters and remakes! Where are your new games and new I.P.s?’"

Despite his fears and initial thoughts, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet’s reveal definitely captured the attention of the public, with over 2 million views in total on YouTube for its announcement trailer.

Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet Is Naughty Dog’s Newest

Game development studio Naughty Dog is known for critically-acclaimed IPs such as Uncharted, Jak & Daxter, Crash Bandicoot, and The Last of Us. As previously mentioned, the studio is revealed to be adding a new series into their repertoire—Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. Intergalactic was previously teased all the way back in 2022 as simply a new project for the company. Two years later, in February 2024, Sony Interactive Entertainment trademarked the title, and it was finally officially announced and revealed in this year’s The Game Awards. As referenced by the title, Intergalactic will welcome players into the deep reaches of space, in an alternative 1986 where space travel has significantly advanced.

Players will step into the shoes of Jordan A. Mun, a bounty hunter who finds herself stranded on a distant planet called Sempiria. It’s infamous for its mysterious past…a history that no one has ever returned from trying to unravel. Jordan is now challenged to use all her skills and wits to survive and hopefully become the first person in over 600 years to come back from the dreaded planet.

"The story is quite ambitious, centering on a fictitious religion and what happens when you put your faith in different institutions," Druckmann disclosed about the upcoming game. He also added that the title will also be a "return to Naughty Dog’s roots in the action-adventure genre," taking inspiration from 1988’s Akira and 1990’s anime series Cowboy Bebop.