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

Neil Druckmann, the creative mind behind the critically acclaimed The Last of Us, has provided fresh insights into Naughty Dog's next venture, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. In a candid interview with Alex Garland, the visionary behind the zombie thriller 28 Days Later, Druckmann revealed that the game has been in development for four years.

Reflecting on the polarized reception to The Last of Us Part II, Druckmann humorously remarked, "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?" was met with Druckmann's agreement, leading to the playful suggestion that their next project should focus on less divisive themes. "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," Druckmann stated.

Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet Screenshots

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Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, featuring Jordan A. Mun as Tati Gabrielle, unfolds in an alternate historical timeline where a significant religion has evolved dramatically over time. The narrative follows Jordan, a bounty hunter who crash-lands on a mysterious planet after chasing her target. This planet, shrouded in mystery for over 600 years with no communication, challenges players to unravel its secrets and history to find a way to escape.

Druckmann emphasized the game's unique approach, saying, "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 other news, last week at SXSW 2025, Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin, showrunners for The Last of Us Season 2, confirmed the return of spores, which were notably absent from the first season. The latest trailer for the upcoming HBO series hinted at this development, showcasing an increase in both the number and types of infected, as well as the introduction of new vectors for the spread of infection. "Season 1, we had this new thing that wasn’t in the game of these tendrils that spread, and that was one form," Druckmann explained. "And then one shot you see in this trailer, there are things in the air."

Additionally, actress Kaitlyn Dever, who will portray Abby in Season 2, shared her struggles with resisting the urge to check online reactions to her role. This adds another layer of anticipation and discussion around the upcoming season.