As a self-proclaimed Naughty Dog die-hard, I will admit that I was a combination of frustrated and intrigued when Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet was first announced. After the emotional gut-punch that The Last of Us Part 2‘s ending brought, I was hoping that Naughty Dog’s next project would bring some closure to Ellie’s journey via a third chapter. Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is a far cry from the developer’s recent era, which made it slow to warm to the idea of Naughty Dog taking a detour into sci-fi territory. The Last of Us and Uncharted have defined the studio for almost two decades now, and stepping away from these franchises is a huge risk. It’s ultimately a risk well worth taking, though, especially since The Last of Us hasn’t really had much time to breathe after Part 2.
There may have not been any new The Last of Us games since Part 2‘s emotional roller coaster, but that hasn’t stopped the franchise from being present in pop culture. HBO’s The Last of Us show introduced the series to a broader audience, and it has proven to be a little too much too soon. It’s possible to have too much of a good thing, which has been the case with The Last of Us. Thankfully, Intergalactic is stepping in to showcase a new side of Naughty Dog that will likely benefit The Last of Us in the long run.
It’s Time for The Last of Us to Step Back and Let Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet Into the Spotlight
This is hard for me to say, because The Last of Us games are some of my all-time favorites. However, between the TV show, The Last of Us remasters, The Last of Us Online being canceled, and constant speculation about The Last of Us Part 3, the franchise really hasn’t gone anywhere. It’s still a very active presence in gaming discourse.
Guess the games from the emojis.
Guess the games from the emojis.
Easy (120s)Medium (90s)Hard (60s)
The good news is that Neil Druckmann made a statement on the official Naughty Dog website to address the future of The Last of Us, confirming that there are two related projects in “very early stages.” That’s about all fans have to look forward to at the moment, which is better than nothing. So, in the meantime, the attention can hopefully be centered on Intergalactic and what it has in store. Based on Druckmann’s words, more in-depth The Last of Us Part 3 news is years away at this point, but Intergalactic is now closer than it ever has been.
2027 Is Going to Be a Big Year for Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet
There’s good news and bad news. The bad news is that fans who were hoping to see Intergalactic at the 2026 Game Awards are going to be disappointed. However, the good news is that Druckmann confirmed that the next Intergalactic sneak peek will arrive in 2027, and it sounds like whatever the studio has planned for the next preview is going to be big.
There’s an electricity around the studio right now as all the pieces come together, and we’re stoked to finally unveil Intergalactic in all its glory. But… we need to cook for just a little bit longer. So we want to set expectations: we’re going to be quiet for the rest of this year. In 2027, that changes. We’ll fully reveal Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet and give you a proper look at Jordan’s wild sci-fi adventure.
What “fully reveal” means is up to interpretation, but my prediction is actual in-depth gameplay footage and a deeper sneak peek into the cast and the characters that they will be playing. Ideally, a release date gets confirmed, but only time will tell. Intergalactic‘s release date has been one of the biggest questions fans are eager to have answered. Rumors have said late 2027, while others have claimed a 2028 window is more likely.
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet Gives Naughty Dog the Chance to Surprise Again
After almost two decades of going back and forth between the Uncharted games and The Last of Us, Naughty Dog has decided to step out of its comfort zone and jump into unknown waters again. The studio made a huge mark on the industry with The Last of Us‘ original release back in 2013, and Intergalactic has the opportunity to bring back that same kind of magic.
In Druckmann’s recent statement, he teased Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet as Naughty Dog’s “most ambitious game yet.”
Whether it’s the Jak and Daxter games, Uncharted, or The Last of Us, Naughty Dog has proven over and over that the team is capable of crafting unique and beautiful franchises. Now, it’s time for a newcomer to take the stage. That doesn’t mean that The Last of Us is pushed to the side, though. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, so once The Last of Us Part 3 is here, it will be far more exciting instead of simply feeling like an inevitability.
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet Hopefully Puts an End to PlayStation’s Ongoing Woes
It’s no secret that Sony and PlayStation have had a cruddy 2026. From controversial decisions like ending physical disc production and cutting ties with Kojima Productions to Marvel’s Wolverine reviews being far lower than expected, the PlayStation brand is in need of a big win. The good news is that God of War Laufey is set to be one of the first big exclusives of 2027. If Naughty Dog is able to schedule Intergalactic for the latter half of 2027 and both games end up wowing players, that could give Sony and PlayStation the double dose of success needed to mostly get back on track.
Intergalactic has a lot of big expectations to meet. Naughty Dog has been on a hot streak with its Uncharted/The Last of Us era, and even though The Last of Us Part 2 remains a divisive title on that list, most can agree that the gameplay and overall design were stellar. It’s time for the developer to take another leap of faith and dive into a new IP, and Intergalactic is a bold subversion of expectations. The finer Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet details are being kept under wraps, but the promise of more information coming next year is pretty great news.
