Some fans were eagerly awaiting a big gameplay reveal for Naughty Dog’s upcoming Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet at the June 2026 State of Play, but the event came and went without a single mention of the title. This has resulted in online speculation running wild. Is Naughty Dog pulling back, and is the studio facing behind-the-scenes challenges? After six years in development, the lack of updates and a release window has raised many eyebrows not only about its quality, but also the game’s overall narrative and artistic direction.
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet has been in development since 2020, with Studio Head Neil Druckmann hyping it up as Naughty Dog’s “most expansive and perhaps most expensive game ever.” But after a year and a half of radio silence, one would expect more from the project.
Last year, Neil Druckmann stepped back from his creative role on The Last of Us HBO series to focus on Naughty Dog’s future projects, including writing and directing Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.
Why Was Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet Missing from the June 2026 State Of Play?
Keyboard warriors online think Intergalactic’s delay is because the game is too politically charged and the anticipation just isn’t there, but it may just be as simple as Sony’s headlining first-party studio just wants to get this game right. The studio hasn’t released a new game since The Last of Us 2 back in 2020. Since then, they’ve played it safe, sticking to remakes and remasters, with the latest being The Last of Us 2’s remaster. The studio opted to milk the franchise as much as possible instead of taking risks and making something new.
A lot of Naughty Dog’s original creative talent has left the studio over the years, reportedly because their vision didn’t align with that of Sony’s CEO. As a result, Intergalactic just doesn’t seem to have the same spark or charm that made Uncharted and The Last of Us so special. Even the trailer for Intergalactic failed to capture the same level of excitement as Naughty Dog’s earlier hits.
No one really knows why Intergalactic is being kept under wraps or why Naughty Dog still hasn’t announced a release window. Maybe the studio is planning a big creative shift, or maybe they have something even better in the works. For now, it’s anyone’s guess.
