Naughty Dog president Neil Druckmann has confirmed the studio is secretly developing a second unannounced title alongside Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.
During an interview with the Press X to Continue podcast, Druckmann outlined his multifaceted role at Sony's flagship studio. On Intergalactic, he collaborates with game directors Matthew Gallant and Kurt Margenau while co-writing the narrative with director Claire Carré. The creative lead remained tight-lipped about which director oversees their mystery project.
"We have another title in development where I'm serving more in an executive producer capacity," Druckmann revealed. "I get to mentor this talented team, provide feedback, and essentially act as the guiding voice in the room."
"I genuinely enjoy these varied responsibilities - constantly shifting between creative leadership roles keeps my work dynamic and exciting," he added. "There's never a dull moment at Naughty Dog."
Both projects' development phases remain undisclosed. While Intergalactic has been officially announced suggesting later-stage production, questions swirl about the secret title's identity.
Several possibilities emerge naturally. Could this signal The Last of Us Part III? While Druckmann previously confirmed having an ending concept, he's expressed reservations about greenlighting the sequel. His limited producer role on this mystery project suggests it likely isn't TLOU3, as he would presumably take directorial reins on such a flagship sequel.
Alternatively, could Naughty Dog be revisiting the Uncharted franchise? The studio hasn't released a new mainline entry since 2017's The Lost Legacy. Another intriguing possibility includes an entirely new IP, following Intergalactic's precedent as fresh intellectual property.
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However, history suggests this second project may never materialize publicly. Naughty Dog's development pipeline has faced significant turbulence recently, including December 2023's cancellation of The Last of Us Online as Sony recalibrated its live-service strategy. The studio confirmed maintaining the multiplayer title would have required dedicating all resources to post-launch support, jeopardizing its single-player output.
The acclaimed developer has historically struggled with concurrent AAA productions, typically prioritizing one flagship project. Since 2020's The Last of Us Part II, the studio has only released remakes and remastered collections.
Regarding Intergalactic, the sci-fi epic boasts an impressive cast featuring Uncharted film's Tati Gabrielle as protagonist Jordan A. Mun and Marvel's Kumail Nanjiani as Colin Graves. The project isn't expected until 2027 at the earliest. During The Last of Us Season 2 premiere, Druckmann revealed the game is already playable and exceeding expectations.
"We're actively playing through builds at the studio and it's phenomenal," Druckmann teased. "I'm thrilled we'll finally share gameplay footage - our initial trailer barely scratched the surface of this incredibly deep experience."
