Development seems to be moving faster than what most industry watchers initially thought for this much-anticipated new science fiction property by Naughty Dog, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. The positive indication involves recent job postings that have revealed the studio is still opening up positions for localization for this title. In other words, this is the surest sign of nearing completion of core content, and indicates that the project is firmly within back-end stages in triple-A development. As such resource mobilization indicates that the game pipeline is running; hence one should also not worry that this project may face prolonged development.
This has given speculation stronger credence regarding its unofficilization as a 2027 launch window. Naughty Dog showed neither a solid date nor a broad period in which to release the above product during the game announcement, but this timeline is beginning to look more industry milestone plausible. Also, with Insomniac Games’ unbelievably anticipated upcoming title Marvel’s Wolverine launching this fall, rounding out a blockbuster year at Sony’s other studios with Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto 6 earlier in the year, and prudent scheduling disallowing direct competition, 2027 could be the best date for the next blockbuster title by Naughty Dog.
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is a watershed moment in the studio that has rather matured, for it is the first new personal property to be developed in more than a decade and a half after concentrating exclusively on the venerable and immensely successful franchises of Uncharted and The Last of Us. The Game Awards 2024 revealed this title, which also saw the introduction of Jordan A. Mun-in-a-bounty-hunter role voiced and motion-captured by actress Tati Gabrielle, following Mun’s saga as she becomes marooned on some distant celestial body while hunting down a dangerous crime syndicate known only as the “Five Aces.”
There have not been many other leaks since the first trailer, and yet, much anticipation has arisen around the game. Recently, co-president of the studio Neil Druckmann would add fuel to this excitement by speaking in public about the game as “incredible.” Druckmann teased the experience left behind from this forthcoming game, pointing out that what had been witnessed during the Game Awards was merely the “very, very, very tip of the iceberg.” An extremely assured verdict from executive management would suggest speculation among them that lightning will indeed strike a third time as they move into their next era of galactic, narrative-driven action.
