Naughty Dog wraps filming on Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, teases 'ambitious' cinematic shoot
Naughty Dog has announced that filming has wrapped on its upcoming sci-fi adventure game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, marking a significant milestone in the development of what the studio describes as its most ambitious project yet.
The news was shared on the studio's social media channels, accompanied by an image of lead actor Tati Gabrielle in her motion-capture outfit, holding a plastic prop gun. Gabrielle plays the game's main protagonist, Jordan A. Mun. The post's caption read "See you, space cowboy..." — a direct reference to the iconic manga and anime series Cowboy Bebop, which the game is heavily inspired by.
"That is a wrap on the very ambitious Intergalactic cinematic shoot! This cast killed it! Cannot wait to show you their incredible work when the time is right!" the studio wrote.
The completion of motion-capture filming is a major step in the development process, though it does not necessarily mean the game is close to release. For context, actor Nolan North, who plays Nathan Drake in the Uncharted series, said he wrapped motion capture for Uncharted 4: A Thief's End in October 2015, with the game launching on PlayStation 4 in May 2016 — a gap of about seven months.
However, Intergalactic is unlikely to be at that stage. Most of Naughty Dog's staff was reportedly working on a live-service multiplayer game set in the Last of Us universe, The Last of Us Online, until it was cancelled in 2023. The studio's last new game was 2020's The Last of Us Part II, followed by remasters and ports of both The Last of Us games and the Uncharted PS4 titles.
What we know about the game so far
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is set to kick-start a new franchise for Naughty Dog. The studio has said it features its "wildest, most creative story yet" and boasts the "deepest gameplay" of any of its previous titles. The story follows bounty hunter Jordan A. Mun as she sets out to capture a legendary crime syndicate, only to become stranded on the alien planet Sempiria, which is cut off from all communications with the wider galaxy.
No release date or window has been officially confirmed. Reports have suggested the game could be aiming for a 2027 release, with insider NateTheHate recently indicating a potential launch in the second half of that year. Sony has announced a State of Play showcase scheduled for September 3, though it remains unclear whether Intergalactic will appear at the event. The studio's social media update may also be a way to show signs of life for the game to avoid speculation about its current state if it is a no-show at the showcase.
The game is a PlayStation 5 exclusive, and while Naughty Dog has been tight-lipped about many details, the completion of the cinematic shoot offers a concrete marker of development progression. The studio has teased that the game's story will have a rich emotional core, something fans of the developer's previous work have come to expect.
A former Naughty Dog developer has previously warned that Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet "might need to be edited" to avoid "another Last of Us 2 situation," referring to the intense backlash that followed the release of The Last of Us Part II. The comment suggests that the studio is aware of the potential for controversy around its narrative choices.
For now, fans will have to wait for more information. Naughty Dog has said it cannot wait to show the cast's work "when the time is right," but has not indicated when that might be. The game remains one of the most anticipated upcoming titles for the PlayStation 5, and the wrapping of the cinematic shoot is the clearest sign yet that development is progressing steadily.