Neil Druckmann Aims to Make Players Feel 'Lost and Confused' with Naughty Dog's New Game

Neil Druckmann, the director behind the critically acclaimed The Last of Us, recently provided further insights into Naughty Dog's eagerly anticipated new title, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. In a candid interview with Alex Garland, known for his work on the zombie film 28 Days Later, Druckmann discussed the game's development journey, revealing that Intergalactic has been in the works for four years.

Druckmann humorously reflected on the polarizing reception to The Last of Us 2, noting, "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." Garland's light-hearted response, "Who gives a shit?" resonated with Druckmann, who agreed, "Exactly." This led to the playful decision to shift gears with Intergalactic, aiming for a game centered around themes of faith and religion, hoping to spark less controversy.

Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet Screenshots

4 Images

Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is set in an alternate historical timeline and introduces a "pretty prominent religion" that has significantly evolved over time. The game follows the journey of Jordan A. Mun, portrayed by Tati Gabrielle, who plays a bounty hunter crash-landing on a mysterious planet. This planet is home to the religion in question, and all communication with it ceased centuries ago. Players will guide Jordan as she navigates this enigmatic world, piecing together its history and attempting to be the first in centuries to escape its orbit.

Druckmann emphasized the unique gameplay experience, stating, "So many of the previous games we've done, there's always, like, an ally with you. 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 — again, no one has been heard from this planet for 600 years or so — if you ever have hoped to have a chance to get off, you have to figure out what happened here."

In related news, Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin, the showrunners for The Last of Us Season 2, confirmed that "spores are back" after their absence in Season 1. At SXSW 2025, Druckmann shared that the new season would feature an increase in the number and types of infected, along with a new spread vector shown in the latest trailer. He 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 discussed her role as Abby in The Last of Us Season 2, revealing her struggle with monitoring online reactions to her performance.