Last Updated on Oct 28, 2025 @ 14:25:39 PM.
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is the next major Naughty Dog title, and it is shaping up to be the most ambitious passion project for a gaming studio. During last year’s The Game Awards, the crowd’s energy was off the charts after the reveal of Naughty Dog’s newest IP. Fans were eager to see where the developers go next after the success of Uncharted and The Last of Us.
Picking which game to work on is a luxury that Neil Druckmann had, and for good reason. Druckmann reveals key details about how he and his colleagues decide on which game to work on next. Game development is no small feat, but everything will come together nicely with enough hard work and passion.
Naughty Dog’s Passion for a New Sci-Fi Project Paved the Way for Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet
The gaming community has high hopes for Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, ever since the reveal trailer showcased exciting things. This is also a factor as to why Naughty Dog opted to work on a new IP rather than start production immediately for a sequel to an existing IP, such as Uncharted or The Last of Us.
In a recent interview, Druckmann revealed the decision-making process that led to the production of his passion project.
“We don’t tend to plan too much in the future, because we find — and this is something I inherited, it’s just the Naughty Dog culture — that we do our best work when it’s something we’re really excited about, really passionate about.”
Druckmann gained plenty of experience during his time working on his previous games and describes The Heretic Prophet as having the deepest gameplay of any game the studio has released. Amidst the success of The Last of Us Part 2, Druckmann revealed the studio debated working on the sequel immediately; however, the team was eager to work on other things first.
“Just to give you an example, when we finished “The Last of Us Part II,” and that was highly successful for us, we were debating whether we should just go straight into “The Last of Us 3,” and we had a really long period where we looked at ideas for maybe what could be in that game.”
Options are a good thing, but passion was the determining factor in the studios’ next move. Rather than expanding one franchise, Naughty Dog went ahead and started a new one through Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, but this does not mean the chances of The Last of Us 3 are dead in the water.
The Last of Us Part 3 Is on Hold While Druckmann Focuses on His New Sci-Fi IP
There is no denying that The Last of Us Part 2 was a massive triumph. Druckmann could have started on The Last of Us Part 3 immediately, given the hype and anticipation for Ellie and Abby’s next journey, but there is a chance the story might not have been fully fleshed out. Naughty Dog prefers to try something new and take risks instead of giving fans what they think they want.
Perhaps the decision to prioritize Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet will give Druckmann an advantage to learn new things and apply them to the highly anticipated sequel. Nevertheless, fans can rest easy knowing the developers are taking their time to work on things they are passionate about and their dreams to deliver another exciting gaming experience.
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Rouvin Josef Quirimit is a Content Writer, an avid gamer (on his PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch), and film enthusiast. He was fortunate to grow up with the Marvel Cinematic Universe and was enamored by the storytelling of a shared universe full of heart and spectacle. His love for movies led him to great single-player games and he intends to cover major franchises for years to come!
