"Naughty Dog's Intergalactic Delayed Past 2026, Druckmann Says 'It's Incredible'"

With the wait for *The Witcher 4* set to extend into 2027, fans of Naughty Dog's newly announced *Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet* face a similar timeline. According to Bloomberg's Jason Schreier on ResetEra, neither *The Witcher 4* nor *Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet* will see the light of day in 2026. This means that *Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet* is looking at a release window no earlier than 2027, raising questions about its target platform—whether it's aimed at the PlayStation 5, the forthcoming PlayStation 6, or potentially as a cross-gen title.

If *Intergalactic* launches directly on the PS6, Naughty Dog would be skipping the PS5 generation in terms of brand-new games. So far, the studio has focused on ports, remasters, and remakes for the current-gen console, including *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*.

Naughty Dog unveiled *Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet* at The Game Awards 2024, showcasing a star-studded cast featuring Tati Gabrielle from the Uncharted movie as protagonist Jordan A. Mun, and Kumail Nanjiani of Marvel's Eternals as Colin Graves. Fans have meticulously analyzed the trailer to identify more of the cast, piecing together details from what appears to be a crew photo.

Earlier this month, *The Last of Us* director Neil Druckmann provided more insights into *Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet*. In a candid interview with Alex Garland, the writer behind the zombie movie *28 Days Later*, Druckmann revealed that *Intergalactic* has been in development for four years. Reflecting on the creative decisions made with *The Last of Us Part II*, which garnered both praise and criticism, Druckmann humorously remarked on aiming for a less polarizing topic with *Intergalactic*: "Let's do something that people won't care as much about — let's make a game about faith and religion."

Set in an alternate historical timeline, *Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet* explores a prominent religion that has evolved significantly over time. The game's narrative begins with protagonist Jordan A. Mun, a bounty hunter, crash-landing on a mysterious planet from which no communication has been received for 600 years. Druckmann emphasized the sense of isolation and mystery: "I really want you to be lost in a place that you're really confused about what happened here, who are the people here, what was their history. And in order to get off this planet... you have to figure out what happened here."

Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet Screenshots

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Assuming a 2027 release, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet will have been in development for six years by the time it hits the market. Despite the long wait, Druckmann shared an optimistic update with IGN at the premiere of The Last of Us Season 2, stating that the game is not only playable but "really good." He teased, "I will say we are playing it at the office and it's incredible... The game goes pretty deep beyond that."