Naughty Dog’s Most Ambitious Game Yet: Neil Druckmann Talks Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet
Eduard Zamikhovsky
Neil Druckmann, co-creator of The Last of Us, has officially stepped away from his work on HBO’s adaptation and returned to his primary role as head of Naughty Dog. In an interview with Variety, he opened up about why he left the series, his future plans, and the studio’s next big project — Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. Here are the highlights:
- Druckmann joined The Last of Us series to bring Joel and Ellie’s story to a broader audience: “It was such a crazy goal, but I wanted someone to watch this show and have no idea it was based on the video game, and then be like, ‘Wait, that’s based on a video game?'”;
- After the successful start of Season 2, Druckmann felt the “path has been set for it” and returned full-time to game development;
- Naughty Dog’s next game is Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, a sci-fi action title announced in December 2024;
- Druckmann confirmed the game is now in full production, calling it the studio’s most ambitious, large-scale, and likely most expensive project to date;
- The lead role will be played by Tati Gabrielle (Uncharted, The Last of Us), with Troy Baker — the voice of Joel — also returning;
- Actor Tony Dalton, who played Joel’s father in HBO’s The Last of Us, has joined the cast as well;
- Film studios are already showing interest in a potential adaptation, though Naughty Dog is currently focused on making “an amazing video game”;
- Druckmann said he’s eager to reveal more, since the initial trailer “doesn’t even scratch the surface of what this game actually is”;
- Intergalactic will feature a deeper set of gameplay mechanics, though it’s too early for details — fans will have to wait for a gameplay trailer;
- Druckmann also teased that a lot is still happening in The Last of Us universe that hasn’t been announced yet, possibly hinting at a long-rumored Part III;
- As for what comes after Intergalactic, Naughty Dog hasn’t decided: the studio prefers to take on projects the team feels passionate about.
The story of Intergalactic takes place 2,000 years in the future. Players will follow Jordan, a mercenary who lands on the mysterious planet Sempiria — a place no one has left for centuries. Themes of religion, faith, and isolation will play a central role.
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet will launch exclusively on PlayStation. Druckmann previously confirmed that Naughty Dog currently has two projects in development.
