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

Fans of The Witcher series and Naughty Dog's latest venture will need to exercise patience as both The Witcher 4 and Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet are slated for release no earlier than 2027. This news comes from Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier, who confirmed on ResetEra that neither title will hit the shelves next year. As a result, enthusiasts of these eagerly awaited games must brace themselves for a wait that extends into 2027 at the earliest.

The release of Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet poses an interesting dilemma for Naughty Dog, particularly regarding the platform it will target. With speculation swirling about whether it will be designed for the PlayStation 5, the anticipated PlayStation 6, or as a cross-gen title, Naughty Dog faces the possibility of skipping the PS5 generation for brand new games. So far, the studio has primarily focused on ports, remasters, and remakes for the current-gen console, including titles like 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 was unveiled at The Game Awards 2024, showcasing a star-studded cast led by Tati Gabrielle, known from the Uncharted movie, as protagonist Jordan A. Mun, and Kumail Nanjiani from Marvel's Eternals as Colin Graves. While the trailer focuses on a few characters, eagle-eyed fans have pieced together more of the cast from a photo of what appears to be the crew.

Earlier this month, Neil Druckmann, the director of The Last of Us, shed more light on Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet in an interview with Alex Garland, the writer behind the zombie movie 28 Days Later. Druckmann revealed that the game has been in development for four years, humorously noting the team's shift in focus after the polarizing reception to The Last of Us Part II. "We made a game, The Last of Us 2, we made certain creative decisions that got us a lot of hate. A lot of people love it, but a lot of people hate that game," Druckmann said, to which Garland responded with a dismissive, "Who gives a shit?"

Druckmann elaborated on the game's theme, explaining that Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet explores faith and religion within an alternate historical timeline. The narrative centers around a significant religion that has evolved over time on a specific planet. "This whole religion takes place on this one planet, and then at one point, all communication stops," Druckmann teased. Players will take on the role of a bounty hunter who crash-lands on this mysterious planet, embarking on a journey to uncover its secrets and history in hopes of finding a way to escape.

Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet Screenshots

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Assuming Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet launches in 2027, the game will have been in development for six years by the time it hits the market. Despite the lengthy wait, Druckmann expressed confidence in the project during an interview with IGN at the premiere of The Last of Us Season 2. "I will say we are playing it at the office and it's incredible," he enthused. "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."