In March, whispers emerged suggesting that Naughty Dog might be working on an unexpected project. These speculations have now been confirmed.
- Neil Druckmann, the studio head, disclosed this during an interview on Press X to Continue. Alongside the announced Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, another project is under development.
- Druckmann is deeply involved with Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. He collaborates with other developers and writers, occasionally stepping back to let them take the reins. Upon return, he may approve of their choices or make adjustments.
- In his undisclosed second project, Druckmann serves as a mentor to the team, adopting a different role compared to his involvement in Intergalactic.
Druckmann enjoys this setup, finding it stimulating due to the distinct roles he plays in each project.
Details on Naughty Dog’s Secret Project
The podcast confirmed that Shaun Escayg is leading this mysterious project, similar to his role in Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. Anthony Newman, known for The Last of Us: Part II, is also part of the team.
Druckmann didn’t reveal details about the genre or content of this second project. It’s not The Last of Us: Part III, leaving fans to speculate it could be a new Uncharted game featuring Cassie Drake as the protagonist.
Historically, Naughty Dog has struggled to manage multiple projects simultaneously. Their first attempt was in 2009, splitting the team to work on Uncharted 3 and the first The Last of Us. However, maintaining separate teams proved challenging, with staff often moving between projects as needed. Even in 2021, then-CEO Evan Wells admitted the studio hadn’t yet achieved fully independent teams.