Naughty Dog will show Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet in full during 2027. The studio has also confirmed two very early The Last of Us projects set after Part II.
Naughty Dog will keep Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet out of the spotlight for the rest of 2026. The studio plans to show the sci-fi game in full during 2027. It has also confirmed two separate The Last of Us projects that will expand the series canon beyond Part I and Part II. In its official Neil Druckmann Closes The Last of Us Day update, Naughty Dog said both projects are in the very early stages of development.
Intergalactic stays hidden
Naughty Dog president Neil Druckmann shared the update during The Last of Us Day 2026. He said the team is focused on bringing the studio's most ambitious game together. It needs more time before showing Jordan's adventure properly.
The statement puts Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet at the center of Naughty Dog's current large-scale production work. It also confirms that the studio will not show the game again during 2026.
That makes 2027 the next confirmed window for a full presentation. Naughty Dog said things will change that year and promised a closer look at Jordan's adventure. The announcement gives no release date or release window. It also does not say that the game will launch soon after the reveal.
A full reveal can explain the story, systems and platforms without showing that development is nearly finished. Motion capture reportedly wrapped up last month, but that milestone does not show how much production work remains. It also does not establish the final release timing. The official statement confirms a presentation window, not a launch schedule.
Two The Last of Us projects
Naughty Dog has moved beyond its earlier hints about returning to The Last of Us. The studio says it has two projects in the very early stages. Both will take the canon beyond the events covered in Part I and Part II.
The phrase expand the canon beyond Part I and Part II suggests that the projects will move the setting or continuity forward. It does not mean the studio has confirmed either project as a direct continuation of the existing stories.
Naughty Dog has not said what the projects are. The statement does not even identify either one as a game, so it cannot be treated as confirmation of The Last of Us Part III. One project could eventually become that long-awaited sequel. Another could be a spin-off game or an animated TV series. Those are possibilities, not announced plans. The studio has not named a genre, format or platform for either project.
The wording also points away from a prequel. Both projects are described as expanding the canon beyond Part I and Part II, rather than returning to the period between the Cordyceps outbreak and the opening of the first game. The setting, characters and formats remain open.
What players know
The confirmed timeline is short. Naughty Dog discussed the projects on The Last of Us Day 2026, described both as being in the very early stages and set the full Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet reveal for 2027.
No platforms, prices, editions, release dates or gameplay details have been announced for the two The Last of Us projects. The same applies to Intergalactic, apart from its planned reveal timing. The official Naughty Dog blog is the main source for the 2027 reveal commitment and the status of the two new projects.
Naughty Dog has also said it will remain quiet about Intergalactic for the rest of 2026. That silence cannot be used as evidence of a launch delay because the studio never confirmed a launch date. The only firm change concerns when the public will receive a complete look at the project.
A separate rumor about a secret Uncharted revival led by Shaun Escayg adds another possible complication to Naughty Dog's future schedule. It remains a rumor and is not confirmed as the studio's next game. It should not be folded into the official announcement about the two The Last of Us projects.
A deliberate information gap
Naughty Dog is handling two very different announcements. Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet has an identified protagonist, Jordan, an active development team and a public reveal planned for 2027. The The Last of Us projects have a broader creative commitment but almost no public production detail.
That restraint makes sense for projects at such an early stage. Confirming formats, characters or release plans now could create expectations that outlast the production itself. For players, the message is simple: The Last of Us is not finished as a creative universe at Naughty Dog, but neither project is ready to be judged as a game.
The studio's next meaningful test is not whether it can make more announcements. It is whether the 2027 presentation gives Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet enough playable evidence to separate a compelling premise from a finished design. Until then, the strongest confirmed news is that Naughty Dog is protecting development time for its new IP while keeping its best-known series active beyond Part II.
Very early development means a project can still change substantially before it reaches a public gameplay stage. Characters, structure, platforms and even the final form of a project may remain unsettled. An announcement at this point establishes intent, not a product that players can pre-order or schedule around.
The 2027 reveal will offer the first major chance to judge what Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet actually is. The two The Last of Us projects will need even more time before their identities become clear.
