Neil Druckmann Aims for 'Lost and Confused' Feel in Naughty Dog's New Game

Neil Druckmann, the director behind the acclaimed *The Last of Us*, has recently shed more light on Naughty Dog's next big project, *Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet*. In a candid interview with Alex Garland, the visionary writer behind the zombie film *28 Days Later*, Druckmann revealed that *Intergalactic* has been in development for four years.

Reflecting on the creative journey, Druckmann humorously remarked on the polarizing reception of *The Last of Us 2*. "We made certain creative decisions that got us a lot of hate," he said. Garland's response, "Who gives a shit?" encapsulated their shared sentiment. Druckmann continued, "But the joke is like, you know what, let's do something that people won't care as much about — let's make a game about faith and religion."

Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet Screenshots

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*Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet* introduces players to an alternate historical timeline, starring Jordan A. Mun as Tati Gabrielle. The game centers around a "pretty prominent religion" that has evolved significantly over time. As Jordan, players must navigate this mysterious world, using all their skills and wits to become the first person in centuries to escape the planet's orbit.

Druckmann teased the storyline, "This whole religion takes place on this one planet, and then at one point, all communication stops. And you're playing a bounty hunter that's chasing her bounty, and she crash lands on this planet." He emphasized the unique experience of being lost in an unfamiliar place, uncovering the history and secrets of the planet to find a way off, something no one has done in 600 years.

In other news, Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin, showrunners for *The Last of Us* Season 2, confirmed at SXSW 2025 that "spores are back" after their absence in Season 1. The latest trailer for the upcoming HBO show hints at an escalation in both the number and types of infected, as well as the introduction of spores as a new vector for the spread of the infection. Druckmann explained, "Season 1, we had this new thing that wasn’t in the game of these tendrils that spread, and that was one form. And then one shot you see in this trailer, there are things in the air."

Additionally, actress Kaitlyn Dever, who will portray Abby in *The Last of Us* Season 2, shared her challenges with the online reactions to her role, admitting it's hard to avoid looking at the feedback on the internet.