Naughty Dog has announced that performance capture for its next game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, has been completed. The studio shared on social media that the "cinematic shoot" has wrapped, indicating that the game is progressing into its later development stages. Performance capture sessions, where actors perform dialogue and motion for the game's characters, can span years as development continues concurrently.
This milestone was shared with a message, "See you, space cowboy..." Naughty Dog stated that the cast "killed it" and expressed anticipation for revealing their work when appropriate. Historically, Naughty Dog's The Last of Us Part 2 concluded its performance capture in April 2019, approximately one year before its June 2020 release. That game experienced several delays, including one in early 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This suggests Intergalactic could potentially launch in 2027, a timeframe that has been a subject of fan speculation, though not officially confirmed by the developer.
Naughty Dog has remained relatively quiet about Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet since its reveal nearly two years ago. The studio is expected to provide new details soon, possibly during an upcoming PlayStation State of Play event. The gap since Naughty Dog's last release in 2020 has led to some fan frustration. This extended period is partly due to the cancellation of The Last of Us Online, a title that was intended to bridge the release gap between The Last of Us Part 2 and Intergalactic. Looking ahead, Naughty Dog is believed to have multiple projects in development, potentially including Uncharted 5 and The Last of Us Part 3, which could help mitigate future generational release gaps.