The Last of Us Director Neil Druckmann Wants Naughty Dog's New Game Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet to Make You Feel 'Really Lost and Confused'

Neil Druckmann, the visionary director behind *The Last of Us*, recently unveiled intriguing insights into Naughty Dog's latest project, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. In an engaging interview with Alex Garland, the acclaimed writer of the iconic zombie film *28 Days Later*, Druckmann delved into the development journey, revealing that *Intergalactic* has been in the works for a robust four years.

Reflecting on the creative risks taken with *The Last of Us 2*, Druckmann humorously noted the polarizing reception it received. "We made a game, *The Last of Us 2*, we made certain creative decisions that got us a lot of hate. A lot of people love it, but a lot of people hate that game," he shared, with Garland quipping, "Who gives a shit?" Druckmann responded, "Exactly. But the joke is like, you know what, let's do something that people won't care as much about — let's make a game about faith and religion."

Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet Screenshots

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*Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet* introduces players to an alternate historical timeline, where a "pretty prominent religion" plays a central role. This religion has "changed and bastardized and evolved" over time, setting the stage for a unique narrative. The protagonist, played by Jordan A. Mun as Tati Gabrielle, embarks on a mission to be the first person in centuries to escape the planet's orbit.

Druckmann teased the storyline, saying, "This whole religion takes place on this one planet, and then at one point, all communication stops. And you're playing a bounty hunter that's chasing her bounty, and she crash lands on this planet. So many of the previous games we've done, there's always, like, an ally with you. I really want you to be lost in a place that you're really confused about what happened here, who are the people here, what was their history. And in order to get off this planet — again, no one has been heard from this planet for 600 years or so — if you ever have hoped to have a chance to get off, you have to figure out what happened here."

In related news, Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin, the showrunners for *The Last of Us* Season 2, have confirmed that "spores are back" following their notable absence in Season 1. During SXSW 2025, Druckmann shared, "There is an escalation of numbers and types of infected, but also, as you see in the trailer, an escalation of the vector of how this thing spreads. Season 1, we had this new thing that wasn’t in the game of these tendrils that spread, and that was one form. And then one shot you see in this trailer, there are things in the air."

Additionally, actress Kaitlyn Dever, who will portray Abby in *The Last of Us* Season 2, discussed the challenges of her role and her struggle to avoid online reactions. This adds an intriguing layer of anticipation to the upcoming season, promising more depth and emotional engagement for fans of the series.