Troy Baker Calls Intergalactic The Heretic Prophet Naughty Dog’s Most Ambitious Yet

Troy Baker, best known to PlayStation players as Joel in The Last of Us, has pushed Naughty Dog’s Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet back into the spotlight, and not because of a new trailer or a release window. At a recent fan event, Baker called it the “most ambitious” project of his career and described it as “very spectacular.”

The more telling part is not the praise itself, but what it suggests about production. Baker said Naughty Dog’s developers are currently fully committed to Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet and do not have the time to respond to outside speculation about The Last of Us Part III. That strongly implies the studio’s resources, narrative focus, and technical experimentation are all centered on this new IP. For a developer long defined by linear storytelling, that kind of all-in commitment to a new universe says more than any marketing line could.

Based on what is publicly known, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet does not look like a simple case of transplanting The Last of Us into space. Baker stressed that its scale and pacing are unlike anything he has seen before, while Tati Gabrielle, who plays lead character Jordan A. Mun, confirmed that motion capture is still ongoing. That means the project is still deep in active development and likely still some distance from release. Naughty Dog has not announced a release date, so the sensible way to read it right now is as a world still being built rather than a finished product close to judgment.

The cast lineup adds another interesting signal. Gabrielle’s character, Jordan A. Mun, has the initials “J.A.M.,” which are widely seen as a symbolic nod to Naughty Dog’s 3 founders. Tony Dalton, known to many as Lalo Salamanca from Better Call Saul, will also play an important role in Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. He previously appeared as Joel’s father in HBO’s The Last of Us, making this another collaboration with Neil Druckmann. The impression is that Naughty Dog is not treating this as abstract concept sci-fi; it is once again leaning on performance-first character building, establishing believable people before asking players to buy into the universe around them.

If there is a useful read on the project at this stage, it is that the most exciting part may not simply be “Naughty Dog makes sci-fi.” The bigger question is whether it can push the studio’s trademark story-driven design toward something closer to simulation and sandbox sensibilities. That does not necessarily mean a traditional open map. It could mean freer pacing, denser environmental interaction, and a narrative structure that asks players to assemble information for themselves. In that light, Baker’s “you’ll see” feels less like hype than a warning: this may not be just another space-set The Last of Us.

For players, the practical takeaway is simple: do not get distracted by The Last of Us Part III rumors yet. Watch what Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet reveals next, especially around combat, exploration, and narrative structure. If those systems can support the ambition Baker is talking about, this will not just be Naughty Dog’s next new IP, but a meaningful test of where PlayStation narrative games could go next.