Naughty Dog’s new sci-fi game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, may include full RPG systems, according to a new update from a former developer.
Naughty Dog’s next big thing, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, was officially revealed at The Game Awards last year, and it’s been a huge topic of conversation ever since. The studio known for hits like The Last of Us and Uncharted surprised fans with a cinematic sci-fi world, a brand-new story, and a main character who feels like nothing they’ve done before.
Directed by Neil Druckmann, the game stars Tati Gabrielle as Jordan A. Mun, a bounty hunter stranded on a forgotten planet called Sempiria. It’s gritty, it’s strange, and it’s clearly aiming to push beyond what we expect from a Naughty Dog game.
Now, some new behind-the-scenes information has popped up online, and it quietly hints at a major gameplay system coming to the final release.
New Details Hint at Full RPG Progression in Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet
Thanks to a LinkedIn profile from a former Naughty Dog developer, we may now have confirmation that Intergalactic will include full RPG-style progression. The developer, who worked at the studio from 2022 to 2024, listed their contribution to the game as focusing on “RPG progression systems.”
That may sound like a small note, but it’s actually pretty telling. It suggests that Intergalactic won’t just be a story-heavy action game; players might be upgrading abilities, unlocking new skills, or building their character over time in a way that offers more freedom and variety. It’s something longtime Naughty Dog fans haven’t really seen in their past games, at least not to this extent.
This lines up with what Neil Druckmann said earlier this year when he described Intergalactic as having “deepest gameplay” the studio has ever worked on and that the developer is “taking our learnings from our previous franchises and pushing them beyond anything we’ve ever done before.”
While no official breakdown of those systems has been given yet, it’s safe to assume we’re looking at something much more layered than a traditional cinematic adventure. It’s also been revealed that the game takes strong inspiration from Elden Ring, especially in how it might handle exploration, player-driven discovery, and environmental storytelling.
Story-wise, Intergalactic is set on a planet that’s been cut off from the universe for over 600 years. Players will follow Jordan as she tracks down a group known as the “Five Aces” while uncovering the truth about the planet’s strange religion. Druckmann has called it a story that explores faith and religion.
“I really wanted to make a game about faith and religion, but also about just being lonely,” Druckmann said. “So many of the previous games we’ve done, there’s always like an ally with you, [This time] 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.”
It’s an ambitious setup, and with RPG systems now likely in the mix, it could offer a completely different kind of Naughty Dog experience.
What kind of progression do you want to see in Intergalactic? Let us know your thoughts below.
