Intergalactic: Naughty Dog’s Latest Venture Sparks Backlash at The Game Awards
Well, another of Geoff Keighley’s "The Game Awards" has come and gone, leaving behind a mix of the expected highs and lows for all of us to discuss and dissect. Amid all the excitement of world premieres and memorable moments, one announcement feels like it's risen above all the others in terms of sheer buzz—and not for the right reasons.
Naughty Dog’s Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, the studio’s latest BIG game and their fifth franchise, has now become the lightning rod for clashes across social media.
The game, touted as a sci-fi epic, was revealed with a brief teaser at the event. According to their press release, specifically:
The Heretic Prophet is the newest franchise in development for the PlayStation 5 console from Naughty Dog, the studio behind acclaimed series like The Last of Us and UNCHARTED. Set thousands of years in the future, Intergalactic puts players into the role of Jordan A. Mun, a dangerous bounty hunter who ends up stranded on Sempiria – a distant planet whose communication with the outside universe went dark hundreds of years ago. Jordan will have to use all her skills and wits if she hopes to be the first person in over 600 years to leave its orbit.
Naughty Dog’s studio head Neil Druckmann took to Twitter to promote his excitement, tweeting:
"Intergalactic is Naughty Dog's 5th franchise and the game we've been working on for the last four years!"
Along with the tweet, a short GIF (above) showcased a character activating a futuristic sword, hinting at the high-tech and action-packed world (and potentially... universe?) players can expect.
Yet the community’s response has been anything but celebratory. Can't say that anyone in the know is really all that shocked.
A Familiar Pattern?
What immediately stood out to me when I saw this live was Intergalactic’s obvious continuation of the now all-too-familiar “girl boss” narrative stemming from DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) narrative that has come to dominate seemingly every single major gaming releases in recent years.
While Naughty Dog has historically been a powerhouse of storytelling and technical innovation, there’s a growing sentiment among gamers since TLOU2 that the studio has strayed FAR too far into pandering territory, sacrificing real genuine creativity for the sake of ...checking boxes.
Druckmann’s tweet was flooded with replies expressing frustration and exhaustion with the industry’s reliance on these generic tropes.
Comments ranged from critiques of the teaser’s uninspired presentation to broader calls for Naughty Dog to move away from what many see as agenda-driven storytelling.
The backlash isn't surprising to anyone who's been paying attention and highlights an ongoing divide in the gaming community against these corporations: players who just want engaging, escapist experiences versus game studios more focused on delivering politically charged agendas and narratives.
A Game Born of Its Time
Druckmann’s acknowledgment that Intergalactic has been in development for the past four years provides important context, though. His timeline places the game’s inception squarely within the peak years of DEI’s growing influence in the gaming industry. It’s no stretch to think that the cultural environment of the time in development played a VERY significant role in shaping the game’s themes and characters.
And while it’s tempting to hope that Intergalactic could surprise everyone and deliver a nuanced, yet compelling experience... The history of recent patterns doesn’t inspire much confidence in anyone. Naughty Dog’s recent track record—most notably with The Last of Us Part II—has shown they have a propensity for prioritizing LGBTQ messaging over player enjoyment, much to the dismay of its ...once-loyal fanbase.
The Inevitable Backlash
One of the most telling signs that Naughty Dog anticipated the backlash was their decision to disable comments on the YouTube trailer for Intergalactic. This is always done to avoid scrutiny and accountability, and it only further alienated the entire gaming community.
It sends the message that the studio is unwilling to engage with real criticism, a stance that feels at odds with the industry's need for strong, open dialogue between developers and players.
Why are they always so afraid of transparency?
Weird.
By silencing feedback on their YouTube channel, Naughty Dog deepens the rift between themselves and their audience. The core gaming community—the same group that has supported them for decades—feels increasingly sidelined in favor of appealing to fleeting cultural trends.
A Call to Listen
The frustration voiced by gamers isn’t just about Intergalactic; it’s about far more. A broader outcry against an industry trend that we feel prioritizes virtue signaling over fun, immersive gameplay. Studios like Naughty Dog have the resources and talent to create groundbreaking experiences, but this disconnect between what we want and what developers are delivering ...has never been more apparent.
Making a game takes years, and course corrections midway through development can be very difficult. But the entertainment landscape is full of examples of studios that listened to their fans and reaped the rewards. Naughty Dog would do well to heed the lessons of its past successes and failures. Instead of shutting out dissent, they should embrace it as an opportunity to grow. I wouldn't hold my breath....
Looking Ahead
While Intergalactic could still surprise us all with its quality and storytelling, the current trajectory doesn’t inspire much optimism in me - and by the looks of it on X, I'm far from alone. We want escapism, compelling narratives, and unforgettable experiences—not another rehash of these tired themes that feel more like a lecture than entertainment.
~Smash
Naughty Dog was trash as far back as Uncharted 4, and Druckmann has always been an intersectional feminist cuck.
Oh well. Mo' money fo' my pocket.
Jesus Christ enough already. It’s getting out of control at this point.
In a few years, there will be no more western game studios at this rate. Between this and Ciri’s (Ciralt’s?) new look and lore destroying promotion to a female witcher, I’m now convinced that western studios are intentionally uglifying female characters and writing them as males to appease certain groups of people who don’t even play video games to begin with.
Even down to the name "Jordan" which can be applied to a man or woman. I remember an episode of Person of Interest where there were two Jordans male and female, and they had to figure out the good and bad guy. Even in the name they can't be original. Tired. Diappointing. Oh well, moving on!