Naughty Dog's creative lead, Neil Druckmann, recently disclosed that the studio is working on a mysterious second game alongside the announced project, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. In a recent interview on the Press X to Continue podcast, Druckmann shed light on his multifaceted roles at the Sony-owned studio. He's deeply involved in Intergalactic, collaborating with game directors Matthew Gallant and Kurt Margenau, and co-writing the narrative with Claire Carré. However, he remains tight-lipped about who is leading the second project.
Druckmann shared his excitement about his producer role on the unannounced game, where he gets to mentor the team and provide executive feedback. "I enjoy all those roles, and the fact I jump between one to the next, it makes my job very exciting and always feeling fresh. I’m never bored," he remarked.
While Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is already in the public eye and presumably further along in development, the nature of the second game remains a subject of speculation. Could it be The Last of Us 3? Druckmann has been ambiguous about a third installment in the past, mentioning he has an ending in mind but given his producer role on the new game, it seems less likely he'd take a step back for such a pivotal project. Alternatively, fans wonder if it could be a new entry in the Uncharted series, dormant since 2017's The Lost Legacy, or perhaps an entirely new IP.
It's important to approach these speculations with caution. Naughty Dog has faced challenges in the past, including the recent cancellation of The Last of Us Online in December 2023. The decision to halt the multiplayer game was made to preserve resources for future single-player titles, amid a broader shift away from live service games at Sony. Historically, Naughty Dog has found it challenging to juggle two major projects simultaneously, often prioritizing one over the other. The studio's last new release was The Last of Us 2 in 2020, with remakes and collections filling the gap since.
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet boasts an impressive cast, including Tati Gabrielle from the Uncharted movie and Kumail Nanjiani of Marvel's Eternals. Despite not expected to release until 2027 at the earliest, Druckmann expressed enthusiasm about the game's current state. "I will say we are playing it at the office and it's incredible," he teased. "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 of the iceberg. The game goes pretty deep beyond that."
