Naughty Dog’s rumored spacefaring adventure might blend The Last of Us, Dark Souls, and God of War—but don’t get your hopes too high just yet.
There is now more information about Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, Naughty Dog’s next big project. It looks like the company is changing how they make games in a big way. A developer profile from a person who previously worked at Naughty Dog, from 2022 to 2024, was recently discovered. It proves that the upcoming game Intergalactic will feature full progression systems, similar to those found in RPGs.
While Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet has been rumored for a long time, we may be getting closer to getting the game. The studio hasn’t said much about the game, but rumors have circulated about a gameplay leak that reveals numerous gameplay and design details.
Reportedly, the rumor was true, and the gameplay actually shows Intergalactic as an action game set in space with open worlds that resemble The Last of Us Part II and, surprisingly, FromSoftware’s Dark Souls. The rest of the story gets more interesting after that.
One of the more interesting discoveries is about how the game’s combat works. According to the report, it’s “satisfying” and allows you to string together melee combos, similar to those in God of War (2018). However, unlike many action games, Intergalactic is said to allow players to choose how to handle different situations. You can sneak past enemies or talk to them—yes, there is a dialogue wheel—if you don’t want to fight them.
People say that these choices for the player are few and far between, but they do happen. If it’s true, it means that the game can be played in a variety of ways, from quietly as a pacifist to fully as an interstellar berserker.
The reportedly leaked gameplay also shows the main character, Jordan A. Mun, talking to other characters, but it’s not required. Instead, players will uncover much of the story by exploring, collecting items, and reading journal entries. It is said that there will be some cutscenes, but not many. This suggests that Intergalactic might focus on telling stories through the environment, which is something that Naughty Dog excels at.
This differs from Uncharted or The Last of Us, which are more story-driven games. However, it aligns with what Neil Druckmann said earlier, when he stated that future games would feature more player-driven stories.
It wasn’t just for atmosphere that Dark Souls was brought up. The rumored gameplay suggests that the game may incorporate Souls-like features into its level design and structure, potentially creating a world with more possibilities and connections. The idea of open areas with different levels of exploration aligns well with what Naughty Dog has been experimenting with lately in The Last of Us Part II, particularly in the semi-open areas of Seattle.
Once more, this isn’t a huge stretch. In fact, it may be the next step for a studio that wants to update its formula.
The gameplay didn’t reveal many technical details, but one thing stood out: the lighting engine is reportedly “insane,” with levels that change color based on the phase of the planet you’re on. That’s a small detail, but if it’s true, it means the environment will change in interesting ways, and it gives Naughty Dog a chance to showcase its visual prowess on next-gen hardware.
The studio is known for creating graphics that look realistic, so the claim that their lighting technology is “insane” doesn’t seem too far-fetched. At the very least, it’s expected.
On the other hand, these dates don’t rule each other out. A “late 2026 window” could refer to internal projections or goals that are overly optimistic. Delays are a familiar occurrence with most big AAA games, especially with new IPs. That being said, don’t really think you’ll land on alien land until 2027.
So, can you believe all of this? Interestingly, yes—at least a little.
This sudden leak of the gameplay doesn’t feel like the usual ones that make crazy claims about 100-hour campaigns or strange crossovers. It doesn’t try to sell too much. It doesn’t have any crazy mechanics or features. Instead, it confirms what many people thought, based on how Naughty Dog has evolved: a melee-focused, Souls-influenced, semi-open-world action game with strong environmental storytelling and optional combat styles.
Over the years, even Neil Druckmann has hinted that Naughty Dog’s next games will place more emphasis on player choice than on pre-planned events. It’s not a stretch to think that stories could be told through found objects, dialogue choices, and exploration.
It’s possible that Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet will be Naughty Dog’s most daring game yet, even if the leak is only partly true. It appears to be shifting away from a story-driven, linear design and toward a more player-driven, choice-based approach. At the same time, it’s using systems that remind me of Dark Souls, God of War, and The Last of Us.
