The majority of the development team for Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet previously worked on the cancelled multiplayer project The Last of Us Online [1, 2].
This shift reveals the scale of internal resource reallocation at Naughty Dog and explains the staffing origins of the new Intergalactic project. It highlights the impact of scrapping a high-profile multiplayer title on studio personnel.
Reports indicate that The Last of Us Online was not merely a side project [1]. Instead, it represented a substantial investment of time and labor from the studio's staff. Jason Schreier said, "Most of Naughty Dog were working on The Last of Us Online before moving to Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet" [2].
The transition occurred after the multiplayer component of the title was scrapped [1]. This decision prompted a large-scale migration of talent toward the development of Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet [1, 2].
Naughty Dog has not released a brand-new game since 2020 [1]. This gap in primary releases underscores the significant amount of development time spent on the multiplayer project before its eventual cancellation.
IGN staff said, "The Last of Us Online was more than a side project" [1]. The scale of the effort suggests that the project was a central focus for the studio's workforce for a prolonged period, a fact that became evident only after the team shifted to their current venture.
“"The Last of Us Online was more than a side project."”
The movement of a majority of a studio's staff from a cancelled AAA multiplayer project to a new title suggests a significant pivot in development strategy. For the industry, this illustrates the volatility of 'live service' ambitions, where massive resource investments can be abandoned, leading to large-scale internal migrations to different intellectual properties.
