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

Neil Druckmann, the director behind the critically acclaimed game The Last of Us, has recently unveiled intriguing details about Naughty Dog's upcoming title, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. In a revealing interview with Alex Garland, the mastermind behind the zombie film 28 Days Later, Druckmann discussed the creative journey of this new project, which has been in development for four years.

Druckmann humorously reflected on the mixed reception to The Last of Us 2, noting the polarizing reactions it received. "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," he shared. Garland responded lightheartedly, "Who gives a shit?" Druckmann agreed, adding, "Exactly. 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."

Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet Screenshots

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Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is set in an alternate historical timeline and features a significant religious element that has "changed, bastardized, and evolved" over time. The game stars Jordan A. Mun as Tati Gabrielle, who must use her skills and intelligence to become the first person in centuries to escape the planet's orbit.

Druckmann teased the game's narrative, saying, "This whole religion takes place on this one planet, and then at one point, all communication stops. And you're playing a bounty hunter that's chasing her bounty, and she crash lands on this planet." He emphasized the game's unique approach, noting, "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, The Last of Us Season 2 showrunners Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin confirmed that "spores are back" after their absence in Season 1. The latest trailer for the upcoming HBO show hinted at the return of spores, and during a discussion at SXSW 2025, Druckmann elaborated, "There is an escalation of numbers and types of infected, but also, as you see in the trailer, an escalation of the vector of how this thing spreads."

He further 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, who will be playing Abby in The Last of Us Season 2, shared her struggles with staying away from online reactions to her role, admitting she finds it challenging not to look at the internet's feedback.