After two massive seasons of The Last of Us, Neil Druckmann is stepping away from the hit TV series, but don’t worry, he’s not going anywhere.
The creative force behind Naughty Dog has decided it’s time to return to what got him here in the first place: video games. And what’s next for the studio? A sci-fi epic called Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is shaping up to be one of their most ambitious projects yet.
We first saw the game in 2024, which showed off the lead character and set the tone for a sci-fi adventure, but outside of that, we found out little else. Now, thanks to Druckmann’s recent comments, we at the very least have a bit more insight.
Druckmann’s exit from The Last of Us TV show
The Last of Us show has been a massive hit, so why leave now? Well, for Druckmann, it was always about broadening the story’s reach. In a recent interview with Variety, he explained how adapting the game for TV wasn’t just about getting the story to a bigger audience; it was about making sure the series stood on its own.
“I wanted to elevate The Last of Us beyond the people who have played the game,” Druckmann said. “I felt like that story could find a bigger audience for people who will never play video games.”
Now that the show has done exactly that, Druckmann feels like he’s accomplished the job he set out to do. “The path has been set for it,” he explained. “It was time to go back to the thing that started it all, which is just full-time video game work.”
The show’s massive success
Stepping away from the series isn’t a result of any failures, far from it. Season 2 of The Last of Us finished with a bang, racking up 3.7 million viewers for the finale and raking in several Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Drama and Best Actor (Pedro Pascal) and Best Actress (Bella Ramsey). It’s clear that the adaptation has found its footing with fans, even bringing in new ones who may never have picked up the game.
“People have watched the show and have come back and bought a PlayStation or bought it on PC and have played The Last of Us,” Druckmann noted. The series has clearly done its part in introducing The Last of Us to an even wider audience.
Naughty Dog’s next big thing is Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet
It’s not all about The Last of Us. Druckmann is now all-in on Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, a massive new project from Naughty Dog that he says will push the studio’s creative boundaries even further.
Describing it as the “most ambitious game” they’ve ever made, Druckmann shared that it will be their “most expansive” and possibly “most expensive” game yet.
Fans can expect a game that combines Naughty Dog’s trademark storytelling with an expansive sci-fi universe that’s sure to stand apart from their previous work, and if the trailer is anything to go by, interweaves some cracking music too.
The Future of The Last of Us?
Even though he’s moving on from the TV show for now, Druckmann isn’t ruling out future The Last of Us projects. While he’s shifted gears, he confirmed there’s still plenty to come from the TLOU universe.
“There’s more stuff happening in The Last of Us world that has not been announced,” he teased. It’s clear that The Last of Us is far from over, even if the direction is still up in the air. Especially given the cancelled online game that was supposed to be set in the world of the games, but never came to fruition.
For Druckmann, it’s all about following the passion, whether it’s creating a groundbreaking TV series or pushing the limits of what video games can be. His work on The Last of Us will always be a huge part of his legacy, but now, it’s time for a new chapter.
“I think Intergalactic is going to surprise a lot of people,” Druckmann said. From what we’ve seen so far, and the studio's legacy of making banger after banger, it’s shaping up to be something special.
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