Intergalactic may not see a 2026 release. What happened to the studio that used to release games back-to-back?
It’s been a rough generation for Naughty Dog. Even though The Last of Us is bigger than ever, because of the HBO show, the studio hasn’t actually released a new game since The Last of Us Part II in 2020. Fans were hoping their next project, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, would come out in 2026.
But according to Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier, it’s not happening. He recently hinted on the ResetEra forums that the game won’t be ready next year. This is why we’re looking at a 2027 release as soon as possible. If this is true, it means there will be seven years between Naughty Dog games. That is a massive difference from the PS3 era when they dropped Uncharted 1, 2, 3, and the first Last of Us all in one generation.
Well, games today take way longer to make because they’re more complicated. But Naughty Dog also lost a ton of time working on a multiplayer version of The Last of Us. It sounded determined, but they eventually canceled it, saying it would have taken too many resources away from making single-player games.
That makes sense, but it also means this whole console generation has felt pretty empty for Naughty Dog fans. We know Intergalactic will probably be amazing, but with a 2027 release, the PS5 will be getting only one new Naughty Dog game.
What’s surprising is how early we’re hearing about Intergalactic. Almost every PlayStation studio, particularly Naughty Dog, usually reveals their games closer to launch, which is within a year or two. But if this one is still that far, it sounds like it’s nowhere near ready yet. It also makes you wonder if this is the new normal? Are we only getting one Naughty Dog game per generation now?
If so, it is a bit disappointing. They’ve made some of the best games ever, but now we’re waiting longer than ever to see something new. Hopefully, when Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet finally drops, it’ll be worth the wait.
