Naughty Dog’s much-anticipated sci-fi epic, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, has reportedly been delayed past 2026, according to multiple reliable insider sources. Early speculation and even some fan hope suggested that this game would launch in 2026, but insiders reveal this might no be possible. Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier, writing on ResetEra, has explicitly stated that the game “will not be out next year”, pushing the earliest realistic release window to 2027 or later. Even other industry voices, like Jeff Grubb, also confirmed that there’s no planned showing of the game at The Game Awards 2025.
Reasons Behind the Delay:-
"Jason Schreier", who is a well-respected gaming reporter, has strongly said that the 2026 release prediction of this game was "inaccurate". According to him, the early reveal of this game at 'The Game Awards 2024' was more of a teaser than an indicator of production readiness. "Naughty Dog" has indicated that Intergalactic will have its "deepest gameplay in Naughty Dog history." Building a brand-new IP with a fully fleshed-out sci-fi world, mechanics, narrative systems, and possibly RPG-style progression will consume more time. Insider "Jeff Grubb" claims the game won’t be shown at The Game Awards 2025.
What Has Been Confirmed So Far is that, this game is officially being developed for PlayStation 5, and Naughty Dog notes that development began around 2020. Naughty Dog refers to Intergalactic as a new franchise, not just a standalone game. On the PlayStation store (or listings), the release date is still listed as "To Be Confirmed".
Even though the release date of Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet has not been officially declared by Naughty Dog till now, but fans and many analysts had expectations that this game would likely release in 2026. Now, it’s true that this game is very unlikely to release in 2026 and this is based on multiple credible insiders. Given the scale and depth they appear to be aiming for, a 2027 (or later) release is now considered the most plausible window.
What do you guys think of this game - Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet? What do you think the other reasons might be for this delay? Let us know your own thoughts on this in the comments.