Naughty Dog’s Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet Leak Reveals Gameplay and Story Details

Naughty Dog, a leading PlayStation first-party developer, is working on its next major title, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. Announced at The Game Awards 2024, the game promises a sci-fi adventure centered on a bounty hunter navigating a mysterious planet. Since its cinematic reveal, official details have been scarce, but a recent leak from an alleged QA tester has surfaced, offering insights into the game’s mechanics, narrative, and potential release timeline. Shared on the GamingLeaksAndRumors subreddit via a 4Chan thread, the leak describes builds tested between February and May 2025. Due to the unverified nature of 4Chan posts, skepticism is warranted, but the details align with Naughty Dog’s ambitious track record.

The leak describes Intergalactic as a fusion of The Last of Us Part II and Dark Souls, blending narrative depth with challenging exploration. The game’s world is not a sprawling open-world like Ubisoft titles but a “nested sandbox” with large, layered areas. Players will traverse these zones using a mix of parkour, a glider, and “faith anchors” that function as fast-travel checkpoints when linked. This approach suggests a structured yet flexible environment, encouraging exploration while maintaining Naughty Dog’s cinematic storytelling.

By the way, we've reported that an iconic person in Intergalactic's dev team, Shannon Ingles, joins Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. New narrative talent on board!

Combat is a focal point of the leak, described as responsive and satisfying. Players can chain jumps and dashes into attacks to create combos, drawing comparisons to God of War (2018), though with less emphasis on juggling enemies. The system allows for strategic depth, with options to break enemy limbs to weaken them or use special tools to apply unique status effects. Weapons, including a pistol seen in the reveal trailer, can target enemy weak points that become visible during attack animations. This adds a layer of precision to encounters, rewarding observant players.

The protagonist, Jordan A. Mun, portrayed by Tati Gabrielle, is a bounty hunter stranded on the planet Sempiria, which has been cut off from the galaxy for 600 years. The leak suggests a dialogue wheel for interactions, though these moments are sparse as the character spends much of the game alone. Optional encounters offer flexibility, allowing players to engage through combat, stealth, hacking, or negotiation. This player-driven approach echoes the freedom found in FromSoftware titles like Elden Ring, which the leak cites as an influence for the game’s lore.

The anonymous poster claims,

“The planet is a tomb of failed civilizations, think Elden Ring lore but in space.” They also note, “Druckmann’s script is HEAVY. Like religious apocalypse fanfic meets hard sci-fi.”

The narrative, led by creative director Neil Druckmann, is described as intense and layered, combining themes of religious apocalypse with hard science fiction. Sempiria is portrayed as a desolate world, a graveyard of collapsed societies, isolated after a technocult enforced a planet-wide lockdown centuries ago. Players will uncover the story through exploration, finding journal entries and items that piece together the planet’s history, much like FromSoftware’s storytelling method. The leak mentions a dynamic lighting engine that shifts level colors based on “planetary phases,” enhancing the atmosphere. The score, composed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, transitions from ambient drones to intense choral and rock elements, complementing the game’s tone.

The leak’s most debated claim is a late 2026 release window, with a full cinematic trailer planned for The Game Awards 2025. This timeline raises doubts, as industry insider Jason Schreier has stated that Intergalactic is unlikely to launch before 2027, citing the game’s ambitious scope and Naughty Dog’s development pace. The studio began work on the project in 2020, following The Last of Us Part II, and has over 250 developers involved. A six-year development cycle aligns with Naughty Dog’s history, but Schreier’s comments suggest delays are possible. Fans have also spotted potential 2027 release hints in the reveal trailer, such as a “3127” code and a reversed “7202” keypad entry, interpreted as March 1, 2027.

The game’s technical achievements are highlighted, with testing reportedly conducted on PS5 Pro devkits. The lighting system is described as advanced, with levels adapting to environmental cycles, pushing the PlayStation 5’s capabilities. The leak also mentions “Relics,” a system akin to character builds, where players can equip and upgrade two at a time for gameplay customization. This suggests RPG elements, a departure from Naughty Dog’s traditional linear action-adventure formula, though still rooted in a single-player experience.

Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet marks Naughty Dog’s first new franchise since The Last of Us in 2013. The cast includes Tati Gabrielle as Jordan, alongside Kumail Nanjiani, Tony Dalton, Ashley Scott, Stephen A. Chang, and Troy Baker in undisclosed roles. The game’s focus on faith and isolation, as teased by Druckmann, sets it apart from the studio’s prior work, which often featured companion-driven narratives. The leak aligns with earlier reports of Elden Ring-inspired player freedom, reinforcing the idea that Naughty Dog is exploring new gameplay directions while preserving its storytelling strengths.

The unverified nature of the 4Chan leak demands caution, as such sources often mix truth with speculation. Naughty Dog’s history of secrecy, especially after The Last of Us Part II leaks, suggests they are guarding details closely. Official updates may come at The Game Awards 2025 or later showcases like Summer Game Fest 2026. For now, the leak paints an intriguing picture of a game blending intense combat, deep lore, and a haunting sci-fi setting, potentially redefining Naughty Dog’s legacy.