Naughty Dog's Neil Druckmann Confirms Second Unannounced Game

Neil Druckmann, the head of Naughty Dog, recently revealed on the Press X to Continue podcast that the studio is actively developing a second unannounced game alongside the much-anticipated Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. Druckmann, who is currently juggling multiple roles at the Sony-owned studio, shared insights into his involvement with both projects. For Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, he is collaborating with game directors Matthew Gallant and Kurt Margenau, and co-writing the narrative with Claire Carré. However, he did not disclose the director of the mysterious second game.

Druckmann described his role in the second game as more of a producer, where he mentors the team, provides feedback, and oversees the project. "There's another game that's being worked on at Naughty Dog where I am more of a producer role and I get to mentor and watch this other team and give feedback and be like the executive in the room," he explained. He further added, "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 stage of both games remains undisclosed, it's speculated that Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet might be further along, given its public announcement. The identity of the second game remains a topic of speculation. It could potentially be The Last of Us 3, although Druckmann's producer role suggests otherwise, as he has expressed a desire to be more directly involved in a sequel. Another possibility is a new entry in the Uncharted series, which hasn't seen a new game since The Lost Legacy in 2017. Alternatively, it could be an entirely new intellectual property, much like Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.

It's important to consider that this second game might never see the light of day or could remain unannounced by Sony. Naughty Dog has faced significant challenges in recent years, including the cancellation of The Last of Us Online in December 2023. The decision to halt development on the multiplayer game was made to focus on single-player experiences, reflecting a broader shift away from live service titles at Sony.

Historically, Naughty Dog has struggled to manage the development of two major games simultaneously, often prioritizing one over the other. The studio's last new release was The Last of Us 2 in 2020, with subsequent projects being remakes and collections.

As for Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, it boasts a star-studded cast including Tati Gabrielle from the Uncharted movie as protagonist Jordan A. Mun, and Kumail Nanjiani of Marvel's Eternals as Colin Graves. The game is not expected to launch until at least 2027. Speaking to IGN at the premiere of The Last of Us Season 2, Druckmann shared his excitement about the game's progress, stating, "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."