Naughty Dog's chief, Neil Druckmann, has disclosed that the studio is actively developing a second, unannounced game alongside the much-anticipated Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. During his conversation on the Press X to Continue podcast, Druckmann shed light on his diverse roles at the Sony-owned studio, emphasizing his involvement in multiple projects. While he collaborates with game directors Matthew Gallant and Kurt Margenau on Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, co-writing the narrative with Claire Carré, he takes on a more supervisory role with the mystery 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," Druckmann explained. He expressed his enthusiasm for the variety in his roles, stating, "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 publicly known and presumably further along in development, the nature of the second game remains a tantalizing mystery. Speculation abounds, with fans wondering if it could be The Last of Us 3. Despite Druckmann's previous comments about having an ending in mind for a potential sequel, his current producer role suggests it might not be that project. Alternatively, could it be a new Uncharted installment, given the last new entry was 2017's The Lost Legacy? Or perhaps Naughty Dog is venturing into a new intellectual property, similar to Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.

It's important to temper expectations, as there's always the possibility that this second game might not see the light of day or be officially announced by Sony. Naughty Dog's recent history has been fraught with challenges, including the cancellation of The Last of Us Online in December 2023. The studio decided to focus on single-player experiences rather than dedicating resources to post-launch content for the multiplayer game.

Naughty Dog has historically found it difficult to juggle two major projects simultaneously, often prioritizing one over the other. Since the release of The Last of Us 2 in 2020, the studio has primarily focused on remakes and collections.

As for Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, it boasts a notable cast including Tati Gabrielle from the Uncharted movie and Kumail Nanjiani from Marvel's Eternals. The game is not expected to launch until 2027 at the earliest. However, Druckmann has shared positive feedback on its current state, telling IGN that the game is already playable and "really good." He added, "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."