Summary
Tati Gabrielle, the star of Naughty Dog’s upcomingIntergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, is being trained by director Neil Druckmann to deal with online hate and negativity. Naughty Dog’s last big release -The Last of Us Part 2- stands as one of the most divisive games in history, and the studio seems to be preparing for a likely inevitable backlash toIntergalactic: The Heretic Prophetas well.
Following its impressive reveal at The Game Awards 2024,Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophetquickly secured a spot on many PlayStation fans' wishlists.Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophetis a brand-new sci-fi adventure from Naughty Dog, set in an alternate 1980s timeline with cool real-world references and anime inspirations. While the game’s concept and world-building impressed many, some responses echoed thecontroversy Naughty Dog faced with 2020’sThe Last of Us Part 2, which drew massive online harassment towards the devs, Neil Druckmann, and Abby voice actor Laura Bailey - including personal attacks and even death threats.
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophetis attracting vitriol, particularly over protagonist Jordan A. Mun, played by Tati Gabrielle. In a recentinterview with Entertainment Weekly, Gabrielle revealed she’s received hate online for being a woman, a woman of color, and for her shaved head, all stemming from her portrayal of Jordan inIntergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. While Gabrielle tried to avoid the negativity by staying off social media, she said Druckmann has been personally preparing her for the emotional toll onceIntergalactic: The Heretic Prophetis out. “Neil’s been bootcamp-ing me,” Gabrielle said. “I know Troy’s experience, I know Ashley’s experience… I know Laura Bailey’s experience.”
Druckmann also affirmed to Gabrielle, “We’re going to make something beautiful. We’re going to make something we’re proud of,” in reference toIntergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. The sci-fi game has been in development for nearly five years and is currently playable internally at Naughty Dog. In a prior discussion with28 Days Laterwriter Alex Garland, Druckmann describedIntergalactic: The Heretic Prophet’s storyas deeply explorative of faith and religion, which certainly aren’t very tame topics to discuss these days.
Interestingly, Druckmann himself doesn’t seem too concerned with any negative reactions toIntergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. When discussing the game’s story and the potential controversy it could incite, Garland said “Who gives a sh*t?,” to which Druckmann said “Exactly.” Only time will tell whetherIntergalactic: The Heretic Prophetends up being as divisive asThe Last of Us Part 2, but it’ll likely be a while until Naughty Dog speaks up about the game again. As it stands, thechances ofIntergalactic: The Heretic Prophetlaunching before 2027appear quite slim.
