Development began in 2020 after the release of Naughty Dog's previous game, The Last of Us Part II, and is led by creative director Neil Druckmann, game directors Matthew Gallant and Kurt Margenau, and narrative director Claire Carré. Its score is composed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.
Premise
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is an action-adventure game set around two thousand years in the future, in an alternate universe where advanced space travel existed by 1986.[1][2] Veteran bounty hunter Jordan A. Mun becomes stranded on a remote planet, Sempiria, while tracking the legendary "Five Aces" criminal syndicate.[1][3][4] For over 600 years, Sempiria has been cut off from outside contact and no one has been able to leave it. In seeking to escape, Jordan discovers information about the history of the planet and its people, and fights hostile, blade-wielding robots.[5][6][7]
Development
Naughty Dog began developing Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet for the PlayStation 5 after The Last of Us Part II's release in 2020;[5][8] more than 250 employees worked on the game.[1]Neil Druckmann leads development as creative director and writer, alongside co-game directors Matthew Gallant and Kurt Margenau[9][10] and narrative director Claire Carré.[11] Druckmann revealed he was working on a new game at Summer Game Fest in June 2022,[12] and later said he was assembling a writers' room to be "structured more like a TV show" than Naughty Dog's previous projects.[13] The 2023 decision to cancel The Last of Us Online's development was partly to avoid withholding resources from Intergalactic.[14]
Intergalactic is set to start a new franchise for Naughty Dog,[9] marking its first original story since The Last of Us (2013).[1] According to Druckmann, the story explores "what happens when you put your faith in different institutions".[1] It is centered on a fictional religion,[1] and includes science fiction elements, taking inspiration from anime like Akira (1988) and Cowboy Bebop (1998).[1] Applying techniques learned in creating Uncharted and The Last of Us, the developers sought to use the game's action and genre to "hide" a personal, philosophical narrative without the constraints of grounded reality.[15] They created thousands of years of history for Sempiria's religion. They wanted the player to feel lost and alone, partly achieved by the lack of non-playable allies like other Naughty Dog games.[2][7]
Tati Gabrielle portrays Jordan; Druckmann considered her a standout during the casting process, comparing her audition to Ashley Johnson's for The Last of Us's Ellie. Gabrielle starred in the film Uncharted (2022) and the second season of The Last of Us (2025), both of which are adaptations of Naughty Dog franchises.[1] A spiritual person, she was drawn to Intergalactic due to its focus on faith.[16][17]Halley Gross plays AJ, Jordan's agent.[18][19] Members of the Five Aces include Colin Graves (portrayed by Kumail Nanjiani)[1][4] and unnamed members played by Tony Dalton, Ashley Scott, and Stephen A. Chang.[19][20] Dalton was cast after appearing in an episode of The Last of Us directed by Druckmann, who offered him the role immediately,[21] while Scott portrayed Maria in The Last of Us and Part II and Chang played Jesse in the latter.[20]Troy Baker has been cast in an undisclosed role.[22][23] The score is composed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross,[5] the former's first full video game soundtrack since Quake (1996).[24]
Promotion
Sony Interactive Entertainment trademarked Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet in February 2024.[25] Naughty Dog revealed the game at the Game Awards on December 12, 2024, alongside its first trailer.[26] Its trailer depicts Jordan watching anime, listening to 1980s music on a Sony CD player, flying a Porsche spaceship, and wearing Adidas sneakers.[1][6][27] Druckmann spent time searching for an appropriate 1980s song about faith to use in the trailer, eventually selecting "It's a Sin" by the Pet Shop Boys.[28]
In March 2025, Druckmann said the team "still have a ways to go" with development.[2] Jordan's jacket was added as a skin for Ellie in The Last of Us Part II Remastered on April 3, 2025.[29]
