Naughty Dog's Neil Druckmann Reveals Second Unannounced Game in Development

Neil Druckmann, the head of Naughty Dog, has exciting news for fans: the studio is secretly developing a second game alongside the already announced Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. In a recent chat on the Press X to Continue podcast, Druckmann shared insights into his multifaceted roles at the Sony-owned studio. For Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, he's collaborating with directors Matthew Gallant and Kurt Margenau, and co-writing the narrative with Claire Carré. However, he kept the identity of the director for the mysterious second game under wraps.

Druckmann explained his role in the second project, saying, "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 enjoys the variety in his roles, which keeps his job dynamic and engaging: "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 Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is further along, having been officially announced, the status of the second game remains a mystery. Speculation abounds about what this project could be. Could it be The Last of Us 3? Druckmann has previously expressed uncertainty about continuing the series, but he does have an ending in mind. However, his producer role on this new game suggests it might not be The Last of Us 3, given the level of involvement he'd likely want in such a significant project.

Another possibility is a new Uncharted game, as there hasn't been a fresh entry since 2017's The Lost Legacy. Or could this be an entirely new intellectual property, similar to Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet?

It's important to keep in mind that this second game might never see the light of day or be officially announced by Sony. Naughty Dog has faced challenges recently, including the cancellation of its The Last of Us multiplayer project in December 2023 to focus on single-player experiences. This shift came amidst Sony's broader move away from live service games. Naughty Dog's history shows difficulty in managing two major projects simultaneously, often prioritizing one over the other. The studio hasn't released a new game since 2020's The Last of Us 2, with remakes and collections filling the gap.

Neil Druckmann says Naughty Dog is working on a second game. Photo by Rich Polk/Deadline via Getty Images.

Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet boasts an impressive cast, with Tati Gabrielle from the Uncharted movie playing protagonist Jordan A. Mun, and Kumail Nanjiani from Marvel's Eternals as Colin Graves. While fans will have to wait until at least 2027 for its release, Druckmann shared his enthusiasm at IGN's red carpet event for The Last of Us Season 2 premiere: "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."