Summary
Naughty Dog might have been riding on the success of itsUnchartedandThe Last of Usfranchises for some time now, but that hasn’t stopped the developer from working on something new.Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophetmarks the first new IP for Naughty Dog since the release ofThe Last of Usin 2013, over ten years ago.Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophetisn’t just a new IP for Naughty Dog, as its retro sci-fi bounty hunter RPG premise shows the developer venturing into largely unfamiliar territory as well. While this is surprising, to say the least, Sony and PlayStation may not be done surprising gamers, as they might have another secret weapon up their sleeve.
Naughty Dog’sIntergalactic: The Heretic Prophetmay currently be at the forefront of the conversation surroundingupcoming first-party PlayStation titles, butGod of Wardeveloper Santa Monica might be guarding a secret that could have PlayStation continuing to dominate the console war in the coming years. WhetherIntergalacticis able to evade some of its pre-release criticism and emerge successful remains to be seen, but Santa Monica may have something to compensate for any fallout.
Naughty Dog’s Intergalactic Isn’t the Only New PlayStation IP on the Horizon
Santa Monica Has Been Hard at Work on a New IP
While many fans have likely been awaiting news about the next game in theGod of Warseries, that’s not the only thing currently in the works by Santa Monica. According to some job listings from April 2024 indicating that the developer was seeking talent with expertise in thecombat systems ofGod of War(2018) andGod of War Ragnarok, the arrival of the nextGod of Waris likely only a matter of time. However, Santa Monica has also been hard at work behind the scenes on what appears to be a brand-new IP.
Cory Barlog, the current creative director of video game development at Santa Monica Studio, posted on social media in August 2024 about returning to the studio to “cause chaos,” alongside a photo in front of a sign with the studio’s logo and the words “Space 600.” Obviously, this has led to speculation about a potential sci-fi setting for the upcoming game, but nothing has been outright confirmed about it yet. Whatever the new IP ends up being, it marks a significant shift for Santa Monica, as its efforts have primarily revolved around theGod of Warseries for nearly two decades.
Fans May Get Another God of War Before Santa Monica’s New IP Arrives
Santa Monica may be working on a new IP at the moment, but its presumed concurrent development of a newGod of Warcould see the latter coming sooner than the former for a number of reasons. Firstly, Santa Monica undoubtedly knows many fans are likely awaiting news of the nextGod of War, especially after the massivesuccess ofGod of War(2018)andGod of War Ragnarok. As such, it’s less likely to carelessly give priority to a new IP when itsGod of Warfranchise already has strong legs.
Santa Monica may be working on a new IP at the moment, but its presumed concurrent development of a newGod of Warcould see the latter coming sooner than the former for a number of reasons.
Secondly, sinceIntergalactic: The Heretic Prophethas already been announced, Sony and Santa Monica will more than likely want to leave some space between Santa Monica’s new IP andIntergalactic— if the new IP is a sci-fi game, anyway. It would be odd for PlayStation to double-down on sci-fi, as there is too much potential for competition between the two titles to occur. In light of that, it would make sense for Sony to prioritize the release of the nextGod of WarbeforeSanta Monica’s new IP, although a formal announcement of the new IP could still occur sometime soon.
As PlayStation continues to prove itself a worthy contender in the console war, its willingness to lean on established franchises and yet dive into fresh ideas may be an effective secret weapon in the years ahead. Whether it’s the retro sci-fiambition ofIntergalactic: The Heretic Prophetor the carefully calculated steps toward Santa Monica’s upcoming projects, PlayStation fans seem to have a lot to look forward to. Of course, the nextGod of Wargame and Santa Monica’s new IP are purely based on speculation at this point, so fans should temper their expectations.
