Naughty Dog’s Next Game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, Embraces Faith, Solitude, and a Far-Future Setting
During a recent one-on-one creator chat with film director Alex Garland (Civil War, Dredd, Ex Machina, Annihilation, 28 Days Later), Naughty Dog co-president and creative director Neil Druckmann delved deeper into the studio’s forthcoming sci-fi epic, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. First announced at The Game Awards 2024, the project looks to be unlike any previous Naughty Dog title, tackling themes of faith and religion in an alternate future timeline—while embedding a strong sense of isolation for the player character.
Faith and Religion in an Alternate Timeline
According to Druckmann, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet occurs roughly 2,000 years in the future, on a timeline that diverged from our own sometime in the late 1980s. Naughty Dog spent “years” developing this fictional religion and its associated lore—charting its evolution from an original prophet through centuries of changes and misinterpretations. Religion, devotion, and the question of faith form the central pillars of Intergalactic, raising thematic stakes fans of The Last of Us or Uncharted might find fresh and provocative.
“In this alternate history timeline, where the timeline deviates, this new religion becomes pretty prominent. We spent years building out this religion, from the original prophet all the way to how it gets changed...,” Druckmann told Garland. “This whole religion takes place on this one planet, and then at one point all communication stops. In Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, you’re a bounty hunter who crash-lands on this planet. … If you ever hope to get off, you have to figure out what happened here.”
A Story of Loneliness and Exploration
Druckmann emphasized a core theme that sets Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet apart from earlier Naughty Dog games such as Jak and Daxter, Uncharted, or The Last of Us: solitude. Protagonist Jordan A. Mun (portrayed by Tati Gabrielle) will have to navigate an uncharted world entirely alone, without the signature ally dynamic found in Naughty Dog’s previous franchises.
“I really wanted to make a game about faith and religion but also about just being lonely,” Druckmann explained. “So many of the previous games we’ve done, there’s always an ally with you. I really want you to be lost in a place, confused about what happened here, who are the people here, what was their history.”
Though the developer has dedicated enormous effort to building out this fictional cosmos, Druckmann noted the title is still in active development, with a lot of decisions in flux. Fans should expect a potentially lengthy wait before the final vision of Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet emerges, especially with Druckmann admitting even he isn’t sure how closely the final release will adhere to the present blueprint.
A New Horizon for Naughty Dog
As Druckmann has hinted in previous statements, Naughty Dog may not be revisiting The Last of Us anytime soon, suggesting the studio is fully committed to charting unknown territory in Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. While minimal details about gameplay mechanics have been shared, the strong creative vision behind the title’s lore and themes underscores Naughty Dog’s ambition to continue pushing the boundaries of narrative and player experience.
What do you think of Naughty Dog’s decision to embrace a far-future setting centered on faith, religion, and solitude? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
