"Intergalactic" betrayal: Neil Druckmann quits The Last of Us to focus on new Naughty Dog game

Naughty Dog has officially confirmed it (on Instagram, which has long been a show business news agency): Neil Druckmann will no longer be working on The Last of Us for HBO. After the end of the second season, he decided to focus on the studio's internal projects, including writing and directing the next game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, announced in December 2024. Yes, it sounds epic, and no, it's not a joke.

What is known

In an address to the Naughty Dog team, Druckmann called it a "difficult decision" but a logical step - the third season of The Last of Us has not even started development yet. According to him, it was a great honour to work with Craig Mazin on two seasons, and he called the game's adaptation "the pinnacle of his career".

However, now he is switching to internal tasks: managing the studio, creative direction, and - most interestingly - a new game project Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. So far, there are few details, but the title already hints at something between sci-fi, mysticism, and... perhaps space heretics?

For fans of the series, this is not necessarily bad news. HBO is continuing to work on the third season, and Druckmann seems to be leaving the matter in good hands. In the meantime, we're starting to build theories about Naughty Dog's new space project, because the name The Heretic Prophet is definitely going to be hot.

About "Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet"

Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is a sci-fi adventure game being developed by Naughty Dog for the PlayStation 51234. The story takes place thousands of years in the future, in an alternate universe where interstellar travel became possible in 1986. The protagonist is an experienced bounty hunter Jordan A. Moon, who finds herself on the isolated planet Sempiria, cut off from the galaxy for over 600 years. She hunts the Five Aces crime syndicate and tries to be the first to leave this mysterious planet. Players explore the open world, take part in dynamic battles with robots, make difficult moral decisions and influence the course of history. The game tackles themes of faith, loneliness, and the struggle against oppressive power.

Source: Instagram