Naughty Dog just gave us the clearest sign yet that Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is actually moving forward.

The studio posted on X that it’s wrapped filming on the game’s “very ambitious” cinematic shoot, adding that the cast “killed it” and that they can’t wait to show off the footage. Attached was a photo of Tati Gabrielle, who plays lead character Jordan A. Mun, holding a gun prop on set.

It’s a small update, but a meaningful one. Everything we’ve heard about Intergalactic so far has come from leaks and side comments, like reports of mandatory overtime for the dev team, or an actor saying the game is still a couple of years out. This is the first time Naughty Dog itself has said anything concrete.

Wrapping cinematics is just one piece of the puzzle. There’s still gameplay development, post-production, audio, and sound design to sort out, so I wouldn’t expect a launch date any time soon.

That said, it’s enough to fuel speculation that Intergalactic could show up at September 2026’s State of Play. I reckon a full reveal is still a stretch, but a fresh look wouldn’t be shocking.

Either way, Naughty Dog’s finally talking. That’s progress.

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Naughty Dog has confirmed today that principal performance capture on Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet has officially wrapped, marking a significant production milestone for the studio's first new franchise since The Last of Us. The announcement was posted on the studio's social accounts, accompanied by a photo of lead actress Tati Gabrielle in a motion-capture suit holding a prop weapon. Performance capture wrapping doesn't technically mean the game is close to finished, but it has historically been one of the clearest signals Naughty Dog has given fans about how much time is left before launch. For comparison, The Last of Us […]

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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?