"Naughty Dog's Intergalactic Delayed Beyond 2026, Druckmann Says 'It's Incredible'"

With fans eagerly awaiting The Witcher 4, they'll have to exercise patience until at least 2027. The same timeline applies to Naughty Dog's newly announced game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. Bloomberg's Jason Schreier confirmed on ResetEra that neither title will hit the shelves in the upcoming year, setting the earliest release date for both at 2027.

As with The Witcher 4, questions arise about Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet's targeted platform—whether it will be for the PlayStation 5, the anticipated PlayStation 6, or perhaps a cross-generational title. If Naughty Dog opts for a PS6 release, it would mean the studio has bypassed the PS5 generation for new IPs, having instead focused on ports, remasters, and remakes like The Last of Us Part II, Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection, The Last of Us Part I, and The Last of Us Part II Remastered.

Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet was unveiled at The Game Awards 2024, boasting an impressive cast including Tati Gabrielle from the Uncharted movie as protagonist Jordan A. Mun, and Kumail Nanjiani of Marvel's Eternals as Colin Graves. Fans have meticulously analyzed the trailer to identify additional cast members, with a photo hinting at a broader ensemble.

Earlier this month, Neil Druckmann, the director behind The Last of Us, provided further insights into Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. In a candid interview with Alex Garland, the writer of 28 Days Later, Druckmann revealed that the game has been in development for four years. He humorously reflected on the backlash to creative decisions in The Last of Us 2, stating, "I joke about this with the team. We made a game, The Last of Us 2, 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." Garland responded lightheartedly, "Who gives a shit?" to which 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 is set in an alternate historical timeline, featuring a significant religion that has evolved over time. 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." He emphasized the game's unique approach, saying, "So many of the previous games we've done, there's always, like, an ally with you. I really want you to be lost in a place that you're really confused about what happened here, who are the people here, what was their history. And in order to get off this planet — again, no one has been heard from this planet for 600 years or so — if you ever have hoped to have a chance to get off, you have to figure out what happened here."

Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet Screenshots

4 Images

Assuming Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet launches in 2027, and considering it has been in development for four years already, the game will have been in the works for a total of six years by release. While the wait is substantial, Druckmann shared an optimistic update with IGN at the premiere of The Last of Us Season 2, stating, "I will say we are playing it at the office and it's incredible. It's really good. I'm so excited to finally put gameplay out into the world and show people about it, because we just showed you the very, very, very tip on the iceberg. The game goes pretty deep beyond that."