Two new projects set in the world of The Last of Us are in early stages of development, Naughty Dog confirmed Monday. The studio also announced that it would fully reveal its next game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet in 2027. The sci-fi action title was revealed nearly two years ago at The Game Awards 2024 and has since received no new update from the studio.
The announcements came on The Last of Us Day, which saw Naughty Dog host a charity stream, do fan giveaways, and release The Last of Us-themed welcome hub background and avatars for PS5. Marking the end of the celebrations, studio head Neil Druckmann confirmed the studio was returning to the franchise with two new games.
“Since Grounded II, we’ve talked about the possibility of telling more stories in the world of The Last of Us,” Druckmann said in a post on Naughty Dog’s website.
“We have a couple of very exciting new projects in very early stages – so we can’t say much about them at this point. I will tell you that both projects will expand the canon of The Last of Us beyond Part I and Part II.
The world of The Last of Us means a great deal to us, and we wouldn’t return to it unless we had something meaningful to say. We believe these stories are worth telling.”
The projects are in very early stages of development, so they are years away and will likely release on the PS6. Naughty Dog has not shared details about the premise of the games. They could feature the return of series protagonist Ellie and Abby, the secondary playable protagonist from The Last of Us Part 2.
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet Full Reveal Coming Next Year
For now, Naughty Dog’s focus is on its next game: Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. The sci-fi title, a brand-new franchise from the studio, was revealed at The Game Awards 2024. At the time, Druckmann said the game was in development since 2020 and was Naughty Dog’s “wildest, most creative story yet”.
On Monday, the Naughty Dog studio head confirmed that Intergalactic would get a full reveal, with fans getting a proper look at the game, next year. The studio also shared a new still from the game, featuring the protagonist in an overgrown region.
Naughty Dog released a new still from Intergalactic
Photo Credit: Naughty Dog
“The team is heads down on what is shaping up to be Naughty Dog’s most ambitious game yet. There’s an electricity around the studio right now as all the pieces come together, and we’re stoked to finally unveil Intergalactic in all its glory. But…we need to cook for just a little bit longer,” Druckmann said.
“So we want to set expectations: we’re going to be quiet for the rest of this year. In 2027, that changes. We’ll fully reveal Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet and give you a proper look at Jordan’s wild sci-fi adventure,” he added.
“We know it’s been a long time since we’ve had much to share with you. We don’t take your continued support for granted. We’re working incredibly hard to make something worthy of your patience.”
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is in development for the PS5 and follows bounty hunter Jordan Mun (played by Tati Gabrielle) chasing a target on a hostile planet. Naughty Dog has promised the game will bring the deepest gameplay in the studio’s history. Intergalactic doesn’t have release date yet, but some reports claim the game is targeting a 2027 launch.
