Is Naughty Dog finally on the path towards renewal and freshness? After more than a decade dedicated to developing, expanding, and refining The Last of Us in all its forms (original game, sequel, remaster, remake, television adaptation), the California studio is now embarking on an unprecedented turn in its history. This change of direction is necessary for both the developers and their audience. This turning point is called “Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet,” but it is not coming alone. In the shadows, a second project is taking shape, recently revealed by Neil Druckmann in an interview, showcasing a new ambition for his studio. During the Press X to Continue podcast, the co-President of Naughty Dog and creative mastermind explained that for this second game, he only occupies the role of producer.
At Naughty Dog, I am currently involved in the development of another game where I serve in a producer role, overseeing and guiding the team while providing my input and taking primary responsibility. I value these various roles and find the transition between them to be very stimulating.
According to several internal sources, this secret project could be led by Shaun Escayg (Uncharted: The Lost Legacy) and Anthony Newman (The Last of Us Part II), two creative pillars of the studio. This ensures a certain level of quality without being entirely dependent on Druckmann. Of course, everyone is curious about what this project entails. It is difficult to imagine it is The Last of Us 3, which likely will not be released for several years or even a decade. Another point of interest: Troy Baker, the voice actor known for his portrayal of Joel, recently confirmed he was collaborating on a new Naughty Dog project. Regardless, it would be unrealistic to expect this to be a multiplayer game. Following the failure of Factions, a derivative service game from The Last of Us, Naughty Dog appears to have refocused its ambitions: narrative-driven single-player games remain its hallmark and area of expertise.
By developing two games simultaneously, Naughty Dog is implementing a new, more open and modular organizational structure, though this approach carries greater risks. Intergalactic The Heretic Prophet will serve as the initial large-scale test of this transition. The other project, which remains undisclosed, could further solidify this new paradigm. It is clear that Druckmann’s era continues to evolve Naughty Dog, with the studio demonstrating a commitment to innovation rather than resting on its past successes. This represents an audacious move for a studio traditionally focused on single projects at any given time. And it can be said that Naughty Dog required a fresh direction. While The Last of Us remains a landmark in modern video games, the studio had become constrained by its own excellence over time. The announcement of Intergalactic The Heretic Prophet, a new science-fiction license, at the Game Awards 2024 was therefore significant. This marks the first instance since the release of The Last of Us in 2013 that Naughty Dog has entirely departed from its iconic franchises.
Neil Druckmann acknowledges this era shift as well. “We have several directors on Intergalactic. I work with Matthew Gallant and Kurt Margenau on direction, and Claire Carré accompanies me in writing. I can step away, return, and discover surprising ideas, some excellent, others that I question.” This collaborative structure allows Druckmann to maintain distance but primarily invest better in another mission.
The simultaneous management of multiple projects is not a given at Naughty Dog. In the Game Makers’s Notebook podcast in 2021, former president Evan Wells revealed how much the studio struggled to handle Uncharted 3 and The Last of Us concurrently.
The energy required to complete “Uncharted 3” redirected resources away from “The Last of Us,” and we were unable to successfully manage two full production projects simultaneously.
Even in 2021, it was clear that one major project could concentrate the majority of resources, relegating others to pre-production or suspension. Since then, however, things may have changed. With a more flexible structure on Intergalactic, Druckmann appears to have found a way to oversee a second game effectively. This development is certainly welcome.
