Naughty Dog, the legendary studio behind The Last of Us and Uncharted, has unveiled its next original game: Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. It’s a mouthful of a title, sure, but it’s also shaping up to be one of the studio’s most daring creative swings yet. With a setting light-years away from post-apocalyptic America and treasure-hunting ruins, Intergalactic is taking fans headfirst into a cosmic tale packed with mystery and retro-futuristic style.
Intergalactic Is Blade Runner Meets The Last of Us
First announced in late 2024, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet has been in development since 2020. It marks Naughty Dog’s first entirely new universe since The Last of Us dropped back in 2013. That alone is a big deal. Given the studio’s reputation for emotionally charged storytelling and cinematic design, expectations are sky-high.
Neil Druckmann, the creative force behind The Last of Us, leads the charge once again. He’s joined by game directors Matthew Gallant and Kurt Margenau, both seasoned veterans of the studio. According to Druckmann, this is Naughty Dog’s “wildest, most creative story yet” with gameplay ambitions “deeper than anything” they’ve ever done.
If that sounds like bold talk, it is – but this is the same studio that turned a zombie survival game into one of the most gut-wrenching character dramas of all time. They’ve earned a bit of swagger. Fans who are currently watching The Last of Us Season 2 will be excited at the prospect of a new franchise.
Welcome to Sempiria: A Planet Lost to Time
Intergalactic is set roughly 2,000 years in the future, but not in a straightforward timeline. Instead, it branches off from our world in the 1980s, creating an alternate history where space travel boomed early and so did a whole new religion.
Players take on the role of Jordan A. Mun, a bounty hunter voiced by Uncharted and Last of Us alum Tati Gabrielle. Jordan’s latest job leads her to Sempiria, a planet that has been completely silent for over 600 years. Everyone who’s tried to investigate has disappeared. When her ship crashes, Jordan finds herself trapped and forced to uncover the planet’s secrets to escape.
“This whole religion takes place on this one planet,” Druckmann explained. “At one point all communication stops… I want you to be lost in a place, really confused by the place, who are the people, what is their history?”
It’s not just about blasting enemies – though that definitely happens. Jordan will have to dig into the history and mythology of a world shaped by 2,000 years of evolving doctrine. The religion at the centre of it all was born from a prophet who, according to Druckmann, may have more than a few nods to religious figures from 2,000 years ago in our own history.
A Deep Dive Into Faith and Identity
If religion and isolation sound like heavy themes, they are. But this is Naughty Dog we’re talking about. Druckmann said the game explores “what happens when you put your faith in different institutions,” a fitting follow-up to The Last of Us Part II, which examined love, vengeance, and moral grey zones. And after the backlash to that game, Druckmann joked that diving into religion seemed like a low-stress next step: “With The Last of Us Part II, we made a lot of creative decisions that got us a lot of hate. So the joke is that, hey, let’s do something people won’t care as much about: faith and religion!”
Still, he’s clearly fascinated by the topic. Druckmann and his team built an entire 2,000-year fictional religious history, mapping how it formed, expanded, fractured, and adapted over time. That Tolkien-level lore and depth should provide plenty for players to uncover, especially with Naughty Dog hinting that Jordan will spend most of the game alone. Expect a solitary, introspective journey, more Outer Wilds than Call of Duty.
Star Power, Soundtrack, and That 80s Vibe
Gabrielle isn’t the only big name attached. Kumail Nanjiani and Tony Dalton are among the cast playing members of the Five Aces, a shadowy crime syndicate tied to the story. Halley Gross, co-writer of The Last of Us Part II, returns to voice AJ, Jordan’s agent. And, in a bit of fan-service fun, Troy Baker (Joel himself) has a role too, though details remain secret.
The mood? It’s a sort of Blade Runner by way of Cowboy Bebop. The reveal trailer features Jordan chilling to ’80s tunes on a Sony Discman, piloting a Porsche-shaped spaceship, and rocking Adidas trainers. It’s full of neon lights, slow pans, and vibes over exposition. The music is handled by none other than Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, whose haunting industrial tones already sound like a perfect match.
Even the game’s aesthetic isn’t just window dressing. The developers have clearly leaned into retro-futurism as part of their alt-history worldbuilding. Think chunky tech, outdated formats, and analog aesthetics in a digital future.
A New Era for Naughty Dog?
More than just a standalone title, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is set to launch a brand-new franchise for Naughty Dog. That’s a significant shift. While the studio has long been praised for storytelling, it’s often stuck to known territory, finishing one big series before moving to the next. This new direction is ambitious. It’s also uncharted (pun intended).
So far, there’s no release date, though Druckmann confirmed in early 2025 that the team still “has a ways to go.” But the hype train has officially left the station. Even small touches like Jordan’s jacket being added to The Last of Us Part II Remastered show how Naughty Dog is already blending its past with this bold new future.
For fans of the studio and of sci-fi, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is looking like one to watch. It’s moody and unapologetically eerie. And that’s exactly what makes it exciting. Fans will eagerly await a release date on this title.
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