Neil Druckmann Aims to Make New Game 'Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet' Confusing and Immersive

Neil Druckmann, the director behind the critically acclaimed The Last of Us, recently shared intriguing details about Naughty Dog's upcoming game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. In a candid interview with Alex Garland, known for writing the zombie movie 28 Days Later, Druckmann revealed that the game has been in development for four years. Reflecting on the polarizing reception to The Last of Us 2, Druckmann humorously remarked on the team's decision to shift focus to a less controversial theme: "We made certain creative decisions that got us a lot of hate. A lot of people love it, but a lot of people hate that game," to which Garland responded lightheartedly, "Who gives a shit?" Druckmann agreed, adding, "But the joke is like, you know what, let's do something that people won't care as much about — let's make a game about faith and religion."

Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet Screenshots

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Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, featuring Jordan A. Mun as Tati Gabrielle, unfolds in an alternate historical timeline where a "pretty prominent religion" has evolved significantly. The game's narrative follows Jordan as a bounty hunter who crash lands on a mysterious planet. Druckmann teased, "This whole religion takes place on this one planet, and then at one point, all communication stops. And you're playing a bounty hunter that's chasing her bounty, and she crash lands on this planet." The challenge for players will be to unravel the planet's history and find a way to escape, as no one has left the planet in over 600 years.

Last week, Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin, showrunners for The Last of Us Season 2, confirmed that "spores are back" after their absence in Season 1. At SXSW 2025, Druckmann elaborated on the escalation of the infected, stating, "Season 1, we had this new thing that wasn’t in the game of these tendrils that spread, and that was one form. And then one shot you see in this trailer, there are things in the air." Additionally, actress Kaitlyn Dever, who plays Abby in Season 2, discussed the challenges of dealing with online reactions to her role.