Naughty Dog's Intergalactic Delayed Past 2026, Druckmann Says 'Incredible' in Office Playtests

With fans eagerly anticipating *The Witcher 4*, they'll have to wait until at least 2027 to dive into its world. It's a similar story for *Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet*, Naughty Dog's latest venture unveiled at The Game Awards 2024. Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier confirmed on ResetEra that neither game will see the light of day next year, setting the earliest release date for *Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet* at 2027 as well.

This timeline raises questions about the target platform for *Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet*. Will it be designed for the PlayStation 5, the anticipated PlayStation 6, or could it be a cross-gen title? If it's slated for the PS6, Naughty Dog might miss out on the PS5 generation entirely with new games. So far, the studio has primarily released ports, remasters, and remakes for Sony's current-gen console, including *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* boasts a star-studded cast, with Tati Gabrielle from the Uncharted movie playing protagonist Jordan A. Mun, and Kumail Nanjiani of *Marvel's Eternals* as Colin Graves. Fans have dissected the trailer to uncover more about the cast, hinting at an expansive crew.

Earlier this month, *The Last of Us* director Neil Druckmann shared intriguing insights about *Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet*. In an interview with Alex Garland, the writer behind the zombie film *28 Days Later*, Druckmann revealed that the game has been in development for four years. Reflecting on the polarizing reception of *The Last of Us 2*, Druckmann humorously noted the team's desire to explore a less controversial theme: "Let's do something that people won't care as much about — let's make a game about faith and religion."

Set in an alternate historical timeline, *Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet* delves into a significant religion that has evolved over time. The narrative follows a bounty hunter, Jordan A. Mun, who crash-lands on a mysterious planet where communication ceased centuries ago. Druckmann emphasized the game's focus on exploration and uncovering the planet's history as the player navigates this alien world alone, a departure from the companion-driven gameplay of previous Naughty Dog titles.

Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet Screenshots

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Assuming *Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet* launches in 2027, it will have been in development for six years. Despite the long wait, Druckmann remains optimistic. Speaking to IGN at the premiere of *The Last of Us* Season 2, he described the game as not only playable but "really good." He teased, "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."