Insider explains why Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is taking so long to release

Since the launch of their PlayStation 4 swan-song back in 2020, Naughty Dog have yet to release a new original game, with their only output coming in the form of a Last of Us 1 Remake and a TLOU Part II Remaster. While it is known that the team are currently hard at work on new IP Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, insiders have now explained why it’s taking so long.

As reported by known industry insider Jason Schreier, the cancelled The Last of Us Online project is the primary reason for Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet taking so long to be released.

For the uninitiated, The Last of Us Online was first confirmed by Naughty Dog prior to the launch of TLOU Part II, stating at the time that they wanted to develop a bespoke multiplayer experience not tied to the single-player sequel.

Things seemed to be going well, until 2023 when it was confirmed that TLOU Online would no longer be happening – despite claims that the project was “nearly complete”. Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet would then be officially announced one year later.

Explaining the timeline of events, Jason Schreier claimed: “I think there's a belief out there that The Last of Us Online was just kind of a side project while most people were working on Intergalactic. No, the opposite is true. Intergalactic did not have the majority of staff until after Last of Us Online was cancelled. And then most people on the studio came over to work on Intergalactic.”

The story of The Last of Us Online’s development is an interesting one, with reports claiming that Bungie had a hand in its cancellation due to the studio’s live-service knowledge – only for Bungie itself to begin struggling in this regard.

All that said, Naughty Dog has pretty much a flawless record when it comes to games which they have actually released, and so they have earned the right to take as much time as needed with Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.

KitGuru says: What do you think of what little we know about Intergalactic so far? Were you looking forward to TLOU Online?

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