Neil Druckmann, the head of Naughty Dog, recently shared exciting news during an interview on the Press X to Continue podcast: the studio is actively working on a second, unannounced game alongside their already revealed project, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. Druckmann, who is deeply involved in Intergalactic as a co-writer with narrative director Claire Carré and collaborating with game directors Matthew Gallant and Kurt Margenau, has taken on a more supervisory role for this mysterious second title. He expressed his enthusiasm for his varied roles at Naughty Dog, stating, "I enjoy all those roles, and the fact I jump between one to the next, it makes my job very exciting and always feeling fresh. I’m never bored."

While the development stages of both games remain undisclosed, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is expected to be further along, given its public announcement. Speculation abounds about the nature of the second game. Could it be The Last of Us 3? Druckmann's past comments suggest uncertainty, yet he has an ending in mind. However, his producer role on the new project implies it may not be the highly anticipated sequel, as one might expect him to take a more directorial role for such a pivotal game. Alternatively, could it be a new Uncharted installment? The franchise hasn't seen a new title since 2017's The Lost Legacy. Or perhaps, Naughty Dog is crafting an entirely new intellectual property, similar to Intergalactic.

It's important to note that the second game's future is uncertain, as Naughty Dog has faced challenges in recent years. The studio canceled its ambitious The Last of Us Online project in December 2023 to refocus on single-player experiences amidst Sony's broader shift away from live service games. Historically, Naughty Dog has found it difficult to juggle two major projects simultaneously, with one often taking precedence. Since the release of The Last of Us 2 in 2020, the studio has primarily worked on remakes and collections.

As for Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, fans have a long wait ahead, with a release not expected until at least 2027. The game boasts an impressive cast, including Tati Gabrielle from the Uncharted movie as protagonist Jordan A. Mun and Kumail Nanjiani from Marvel's Eternals as Colin Graves. Despite the wait, Druckmann is optimistic, sharing that the game is already playable and "really good." He teased, "I will say we are playing it at the office and it's incredible. It's really good. I'm so excited to finally put gameplay out into the world and show people about it, because we just showed you the very, very, very tip on the iceberg. The game goes pretty deep beyond that."