“‘See you, space cowboy.’ That is a wrap on the very ambitious Intergalactic cinematic shoot! This cast killed it! Cannot wait to show you their incredible work when the time is right,” wrote the studio in a post accompanying a picture of Tati Gabrielle, who plays Intergalactic protagonist Jordan A. Mun. In the picture, Gabrielle can be seen holding a prop gun while sporting Jordan’s hairstyle and a motion capture suit.

Despite this announcement, Naughty Dog has remained generally quiet when revealing more details about Intergalactic’s cast. We have, however, seen a few confirmations of some of the actors playing various roles in the game, including Tony Dalton, who is known for his work on a variety of projects in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as well as in the critically acclaimed show Better Call Saul.

Dalton had spoken about how different it is to work on a game when compared to his other roles in live-action projects.

“It’s crazy. It’s like nothing I’ve ever done in my life. These guys are top of the line. You put on these skin-tight suits with dots all over the place–all over your face and everything. They have a whole set. Huge, huge set. It’s amazing,” Dalton said. While he didn’t reveal which character he is playing in the game, the actor noted that it’s “one of the leads”. He also went on to call director Neil Druckmann “the sweetest guy in the world.”

Most recently, Robin Atkin Downes had announced that he was involved with Intergalactic as well. Downes has worked with Naughty Dog quite extensively in the past across projects like the Uncharted franchise and even The Last of Us. The actor also has plenty of major roles in his resume across major franchises like Halo, Metal Gear, and Just Cause.

Druckmann himself has also been teasing that an actor from The Last of Us would be playing a role in Intergalactic. Back in March, he took to social media to post a picture of Merle Dandridge in a motion capture suit. Dandridge had worked with the studio, portraying Marlene in the 2013 release of The Last of Us. She would reprise the role in the sequel as well as in HBO’s live-action adaptation.

Neither Naughty Dog nor Sony has announced a solid release date for Intergalactic. However, rumors from December 2025 have indicated that the studio is targeting a mid-2027 launch.

While few other details about the title have been revealed, Druckmann has spoken about wanting to tackle themes like religion and faith, as well as the idea of loneliness with its story. This likely indicates that Jordan won’t have any allies with her during her adventures.

“I’ve been keeping this one quiet for a while… The journey continues! Awesome to be working again with the Dawgs!”

Along with having worked on a plethora of TV shows and animation projects, Downes also has a storied career when it comes to games. Among his most notable roles in a career that stretches all the way back to 2002 include the Prophet of Regret in Halo 2, Rico Rodriguez in Just Cause, Deathshead in 2009’s Wolfenstein, and Kazuhira Miller in Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes and The Phantom Pain.

When it comes to his work with Naughty Dog, Downes has popped up in all four mainline entries in the Uncharted franchise, as well as the PlayStation Vita-exclusive Uncharted: Golden Abyss. He also played the role of Robert in The Last of Us.

Downes isn’t the only veteran voice actor to be confirmed as a part of Intergalactic’s cast; veteran voice actor Troy Baker had previously spoken about his continued relationship with Naughty Dog and the development process for the studio’s upcoming game. He discussed how he often butts heads with studio head Neil Druckmann when it comes to character decisions, noting that it’s a friendly, professional relationship where both of them are passionate about the story.

“We did two weeks ago, man. Neil and I will always, it’s our vibe,” Baker said back in November 2025. “We just love to butt up against each other. We were doing a table read, and I was literally like, ‘Why are you giving me s*** right now? I’m asking you a question!’ And everybody else is like, ‘Our mom and dad are fighting, are we still going to Disneyland?’ We’re fine. We’re fine!”

Druckmann has also teased that another The Last of Us actor might pop up in the game, posting a picture of actor Merle Dandridge wearing a full motion capture suit on social media. Without revealing too many details, Druckmann referred to Dandridge as “a n̶a̶t̶i̶o̶n̶a̶l̶ intergalactic treasure.” Along with playing the role of Marlene in the 2013 release of The Last of Us, Dandridge reprised the role in The Last of Us Part 2, as well as in HBO’s live-action adaptation.

Tony Dalton, known for his work on live-action projects like Better Call Saul, is also part of Intergalactic’s cast. In January, he spoke about his experience on the project, discussing how different it has been from his other work.

“It’s crazy. It’s like nothing I’ve ever done in my life. These guys are top of the line. You put on these skin-tight suits with dots all over the place–all over your face and everything. They have a whole set. Huge, huge set. It’s amazing.”

Intergalactic is being developed as a PS5-exclusive title. While a release date hasn’t yet been announced, reports indicate that the studio is aiming for a mid-2027 release.

What’s taking a studio that was once so dominant so long to bring out its latest flagship title? Benson Russell, a former designer whose credits include The Last of Us and Uncharted, has weighed in on what could be holding it back in an interview with FRVR. He believes that Naughty Dog and perhaps other triple-A developers could cut down on long development times by focusing on a “North Star”, a goal that helps align development across “siloed teams” with a lot of “waste” that compromises the quality of final releases.

“The flaw in game development is that we’ve approached it from the wrong perspective. The way I’ve seen most games happen is like: ‘I want this game’s jumping mechanics; I want this game’s adventure mechanics. I genuinely think these seven-year projects… You can get them back down to five. I think you could at least cut two years off of them, if not maybe a little more, just by defining yourself, getting that North Star solid right in the beginning. And it’s not a difficult thing to do.”

While we certainly hope that Naughty Dog can find its North Star fairly early on its next project, whatever that may be, we’re certainly hoping that Intergalactic is already well on its way to its own goals, and that we’re going to be hearing (and hopefully seeing) about it reasonably soon. Perhaps at this year’s The Game Awards in December? Stay tuned for more updates in the meantime.

In an interview with FRVR, Russell spoke about how Uncharted doesn’t really need a remake, since its gameplay and visuals still hold up well today. Pointing to the remake of the original System Shock, he noted that it “makes a lot of sense because not just can you play it, but it had horrible key bindings, it kept a lot of people out from wanting to play it.” Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, on the other hand, is something Russell still considers to be “new” since its control scheme is pretty standard for third-person shooters even today.

This, along with the fact that PlayStation Plus subscribers can still play the original Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, makes Russell question, “What’s the point of remastering [or remaking] it?”

“I just don’t see the point of remaking [it],” he continued. “You’d have to rewrite the whole story to make it better, which means you’re going to change the spirit and you’re going to change the scenes and what the first one was about, right? You’re going to have to add all these scenes or take things away, and a lot of the key set pieces—are you going to keep those? Are you going to have to redo them because they don’t fit your story?”

Interestingly, Russell also believes that a remake of the original wouldn’t do much to introduce the franchise to a new game. Rather, he says that the studio should “take the lessons of Uncharted 4 and make a new game that’s in the past or wherever you need it to be.”

“It doesn’t make any sense. I honestly thought the same thing about The Last of Us Part 1… these are old games for a reason.” Russell also noted that a remake would feel “more like a cash grab than it would feel like anything necessary at this point.”

It is worth noting that, since the 2013 release of The Last of Us, Naughty Dog has released a remastered version of the game for PS4, and then a remake for PS5 and PC. Similarly, The Last of Us Part 2 also got a remaster. When it comes to Uncharted, however, the studio has only released two games throughout the 2010s – Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy.

While it might seem like Naughty Dog is ready to move past the Uncharted franchise, a report from earlier this year has indicated that the studio at one point “flirted with the idea” of making an Uncharted 5. According to Insider Gaming’s Tom Henderson, “there was some planning of an Uncharted 5 before COVID.”

In the meantime, Intergalactic is slated for release exclusively on PS5. It doesn’t yet have a release date, however.

But it does beg the question: What have been this generation’s most successful? Alinea Analytics estimates it’s Resident Evil 4 Remake, which has reportedly sold 16.8 million and generated $560 million in revenue. The last official figure from Capcom was 13.6 million sold as of March 31st, 2026, so this wouldn’t be too far off.

What’s surprising is that ARK: Survival Ascended is apparently in second place with seven million sold. It’s followed by The Last of Us Part 1 in third with 6.3 million reportedly sold. So even if it seemed baffling, remaking the classic to coincide with the TV show proved a viable strategy. Then there’s The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered and its alleged 4.5 million sales. Would that have been higher if Virtuos hadn’t abandoned support? Or did it abandon support after reaching this milestone? It’s hard to say.

Either way, expect even more remakes in the future, given that they bring in the sales. On the bright side, if they turn out to be as enjoyable as either Resynced or Campaign Evolved, then we should be in for a fun time.

But while some of the talent on that ill-fated live service effort for the franchise that never saw the light of day may have moved on, Insider Gaming has reported on a sequel advocated for by a famous and familiar voice in the gaming world – Troy Baker, the voice of Joel. He believes there’s more to explore from where the franchise currently stands, and that he would love to be a part of whatever comes next.

“I would be on board with anything. If Neil [Druckmann] decides that he has a place for me, then I’ve learned at this point to listen to him, because he’s really smart. There’s this beautiful thing about the mystery of what happened between Tommy and Joel; there is all the time, the 20 years, you’ve got such beautiful lore to choose from. I think that makes a great foundation for a story,” he said.

Insider Gaming had some interesting ideas for a sequel, with Troy being quite enthusiastic about being there for any effort at making another title, even if it goes in a different direction. “I’ve also learned to trust Naughty Dog, and maybe there’s a whole other story there that we’re not thinking about. I’m going to let Neil and Naughty Dog decide: as we look forward, are we looking back? Are we going to revisit something? Or are we going to continue to reinvent? That’s their call. But whether it is something that you are playing, or with me with a controller in hand, I’m there day one.”

Will that be enough to nudge Naughty Dog into action after a relatively quiet console generation this time around? Only time can tell, but it’s sure nice to let our imaginations fly from time to time. We do think we’d like a look at what Ellie and Abby moved on to, and how the world has continued in Joel’s absence, after all.

Think about it. Crash Bandicoot’s PS1 debut made the character an almost permanent fixture in modern gaming. The Jak franchise was a solid platformer that made great use of the PS2’s beefier configuration to make a compelling cast of characters and their adventures very popular. Things got even better during the PS3 era, with the studio managing to develop The Last of Us even as it brought three, yes, three Uncharted games. That momentum carried forward with the PS4, and it resulted in the studio giving us Uncharted 4, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, a sequel to The Last of Us, and a remaster of Joel and Ellie’s first adventure.

That’s quite the track record, but it’s also the main reason for our concern with what the studio has brought to the PS5. The Last of Us Part 1 was a great remake, and the remaster of the second game was also quite welcome. They were great final products, bringing the studio’s usual polish to the table, but they were still not new experiences, something that we had come to expect from the studio. So, just two games and that too a remaster and a remake, and that too at a time when the PS5 is likely on its last legs. Consider that against the PS5 bringing the scope for what could have been a great current-gen experience from Naughty Dog, and you begin to see why we’re in disbelief that we’ve not had anything new from it, yet. Yes, we know Intergalactic is in development, but hear us out first.

Sustained Progress

We’ve got a few reasons for that, and the first one is that this was once a studio that didn’t shy away from new ideas. Its identity in the preceding generations wasn’t just tied to the excellent games it was churning out, but in the way that those games often pivoted into areas that it hadn’t visited before. Crash Bandicoot and Jax were wildly different, yet equally potent experiences. The same goes for Uncharted and The Last of Us.

There’s also the fact that each of the franchises we’ve mentioned had multiple titles coming out, each of which tried new ideas set within the respective frameworks of the stories and gameplay loops that they set up. There were multiple Crash titles and a very entertaining racing one in Crash Team Racing. The Jak trilogy and Jak X had us quite entertained on the PS2. The Uncharted trilogy and The Last of Us are obvious ones that made the PS3 a very desirable console in the process, and the PS4 also had multiple titles from both franchises.

Naughty Dog felt like it was among the most relentless studios under Sony’s first-party umbrella, and one that was capable of banger after banger despite bold new gameplay ideas taking the stage in each one. That’s no easy feat, and the studio deserves credit for what it has achieved over those years. But that sense of forward momentum has been oddly absent for the PS5. Yes, everything that it has brought to the current-gen powerhouse has its usual polish, great technical upgrades, and the preservation of what made each franchise great in its own right. But it hasn’t felt like the studio was carrying Sony into the future this time around, and that’s a problem.

Yes, Intergalactic has been in the works for a while, with the studio saying that it’s been in development as early as 2020 before it was announced in 2024. Yes, there’s a strong chance that the studio’s claim that it’s going to be its most ambitious PlayStation title yet turns out to be true. But we’re yet to see any gameplay or receive any clarity regarding its release over the years, and with the next generation of gaming hardware now looming larger on the horizon with every passing day, it’s kind of hard not to feel like the PS5 era has cut into the studio’s penchant for quicker production and originality, instead positioning it as one focused on remakes and remasters in the public eye, at least for the last few years.

Intergalactic might prove all of this wrong, but it’s still a long way away from the looks of it. But until it does that, the studio is now defined not by what it’s creating, but on what it’s re-releasing.Of course, The Last of Us Online was in development before its cancellation. a decision that, in hindsight, we’d still call the right one, even if it slightly complicates the point we’re making here. The justification that it would require the diversion of valuable resources to post-launch support for years was valid, and we’d say it was a great way of thinking long-term.

But in the short-term, that choice has come with consequences. It has resulted in silence on the single-player front, the very thing that the studio was trying to save by avoiding a live-service commitment. It’s left a very noticeable gap in the PS5 generation, denying fans of an online game that might have been quite compelling, while simultaneously leaving them hanging on the promise of a big single-player title that’s yet to come.

The Challenges Of A New Generation of Games

You might argue that making great games takes time, and you’d be right. Modern AAA games are more expensive and time consuming, and games from a name like Naughty Dog are going to face even more scrutiny thanks to the studio’s own reputation for great visuals and technically sound releases. The audiences they’re made for are getting increasingly discerning, and quite vocal in calling out a perceived lack of quality, which makes the process of developing games that click right off the bat a challenge. There’s no denying that reality.

But this is Naughty Dog we’re talking about, and it continues to be an important part of Sony’s line-up of studios. It’s also experienced enough to tackle these issues head-on, and still come out on top. It isn’t a small inexperienced team, and we believe it’s justified to expect more from one of modern gaming’s biggest game studios It isn’t wrong for the studio to take the time it needs to craft something truly special, but the timing of it all does mess with the expectation of a generation defining title for what it currently the most iconic console in Sony’s line-up.

Which leads us to the question of what has changed in the years since the PS4 and PS5’s respective releases? The pivot into other media immediately comes to mind, as The Last of Us has now grown beyond its beginnings as a great video game into a prestigious TV property alongside its cycle of remakes and remasters, merchandising, and a PC release strategy, all of which require time and effort from the studio. All of that’s fine. We love Joel and Ellie’s gameplay mechanics, and the grim and gritty world that it takes place in. It’s a great choice for a serialized story or a riveting gameplay loop, depending on how you would like to consume it.

But has it become a sort of trap for Naughty Dog? Has the studio become too focused on a single IP, taking on the role of its guardian to the exclusion of all else? Has The Last of Us dominated the studio’s attention and distorted its output? Perhaps not, but it is a significant detail that must be considered against the backdrop of everything else we’ve talked about. But all hope isn’t lost, not while Intergalactic remains in its pipeline.

However, that’s a game that now has to bear the weight of an entire generation all on its own, as opposed to multiple releases in previous ones. It isn’t just the next big title from the studio, but a vehicle for the studio’s reputation. It’s a game that has to prove that Naughty Dog still has what it takes to make great new worlds, and that it isn’t in a creative rut that’s preventing it from looking past The Last of Us. The long silence from the studio must be justified, and Intergalactic isn’t going to be judged merely as a new IP from a major studio in modern gaming, but as a game that must allay years of frustrating silence and unmet expectations.

Why is that the case, though? Well, it’s a paradox of Naughty Dog’s own making. It raised the bar so consistently over the years that it now competes against itself, and now finds that everyone expects extraordinary things from it. We’d say a couple of great remakes and remasters from any other studio wouldn’t warrant any additional scrutiny unless the studio in question has consistently one-upped itself from release to release. It has trained us all to expect more from it, and not just see what it’s already managed to achieve just repackaged, no matter how attractive those options may be.

Looking To The Future

There’s still time, though, and the studio might even learn of our concerns and smile as it delivers an experience that makes the wait for Intergalactic worth it. But until then, the PS5 generation feels like Naughty Dog has lost a bit of focus, and has let the past few years be the strangest and perhaps the weakest period in its history. It certainly hasn’t lost its talent, but it definitely needs to work on its rhythm.

It’s played things too safe this time around, relying on its past instead of clearly looking into the future as it always has. But we hold out hope for Intergalactic flipping the script, and feeding us a slice of humble pie we’d gladly chomp into when it finally comes along. Let’s hope, for Naughty Dog’s sake, that it happens sooner rather than later.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

But in a world where it’s easy for even the most well-designed game to fade away into the background amid a sea of equally potent releases. Uncharted 4 feels like it holds its own against the best of today, and that’s because it’s a title that doesn’t chase spectacle. Instead, it presents controls, animations, combat, traversal and a level of detail that are all so polished, the spectacles it does bring to the table feel more authentic as a result.

It’s a game that continues to be premium, acting as an excellent showcase of what a current-gen console can do without breaking a sweat. It might not be a massive title or as systems-heavy as some of its peers, but there’s something about how confident it comes across, every curated framing of events in Nathan’s concluding chapter continuing to be impressive even after many other titles have come and gone.

Let’s dive deeper into why that’s the case, beginning with the game’s visuals.

Easy On The Eyes

Naughty Dog certainly bets big on its art styles, and Uncharted 4 continues to be a strong contender among current-gen video games with naturalistic lighting that continues to bring diverse biomes to life, and a sense of hand-crafted quality to every environment that makes it a delight to revisit. There’s a level of detail that’s really helpful in selling the story it’s trying to tell, with character models, facial animations, and movements that bring an impressive level of realism to every scene we’re a part of.

There’s a great use of color and contrast, along with great framing on scenes to present them with a cinematic flair that goes toe to toe with the best games of today. This one’s intense scenes have certainly aged better than some modern titles that have valued technical prowess over the actual art of weaving your players into the story and world they’re playing.

On the visual front, Uncharted 4 continues to be as good as its peers thanks to a grounded and readable visual style that’s underlined with just enough elegance to make it stand out even among some of modern gaming’s greats. Of course, details and lightning are only a part of the experience, and they lead us directly to the game’s animations, which we believe have been a crucial part of its shelf life over the years.

Nathan continues to control well, his speed and agility feeling believable without making him feel annoyingly sluggish. There’s a sort of natural response to different surfaces that Naughty Dog has baked into Uncharted 4, and he grabs surfaces, sometimes slipping on ones that misbehave, leaning into walls when he needs to, and even stumbles in a way that immediately makes him more relatable as a player-controlled character while remaining agile enough to do justice to the game’s stunts.

He’s helped by smooth transitions between all of the things he can do, and it all comes together so well that you feel quite confident with navigating the adventure, while those of you looking to challenge yourselves could certainly think of ways to do so. Of course, the way enemies react to your actions, as well as environmental interactions that soon weave themselves into your gameplay, are also facets of animation systems that have managed to stand tall a decade later.

Yes, there are games with higher resolutions and more effects on our screens courtesy of current-gen power under the hoods of our systems. But only a few come close to how polished Uncharted 4 can feel with its visual fidelity and high-quality animations. Of course, the gameplay that they service is the next stop on our list of reasons why this one continues to hold relevance, perhaps even reverence, in modern gaming.

A Pleasure To Play

Uncharted 4 might not be as mechanically deep as some of the best games we’ve had over the years, but its gameplay relies on the same refinement that underlines its visuals to present combat and traversal mechanics that continue to sell the action, while still staying readable and responsive. Lining up shots to take out enemies feels ever so smooth and cinematic, while seamlessly switching between cover ensures that combat never ends up feeling too static.

Nathan’s always on the move, and that restless energy translates to an experience that sees you become deadly from a distance and up close, with the melee system keeping things light on mechanics but quite punchy on impact. Of course, combining all of that with the verticality of traversal courtesy of the rope and the way it brings a simple sort of momentum to everything Nate does is ingenious.

Not only does it bring a great new way to navigate combat encounters thanks to swings and climbing points, but it also opens up avenues for you to thin out the herd before you get into an actual firefight. It can also act as a lifeline if you need some breathing room, letting you get out of sight and come back to an encounter from a place where you regain the tactical advantage.

Of course, larger combat spaces and multiple paths to encounters let them all unfold in a way that feels very organic, letting you respond to situations on the fly in very satisfying ways. It’s easy to forget that this one’s a rather linear adventure, given how it rewards diligent exploring with optional spaces and more curated sections, like the ones with your Jeep, to create a loop of exploring that has you on your toes and keeps you there.

It balances its cover-shooter mechanics with its cinematic presentation, while letting you engage with it all in ways that continue to be immersive. That’s because its systems are all baked into the very fabric of it all, and work very well to nudge you along between objectives in ways that give you enough agency to make it your own. Which brings us to its set pieces.

Controlled Chaos

Anywhere Nate goes, a bit of chaos is sure to follow. And we continue to be thrilled by how this one handles it all, with the action part of the adventure being a very welcome part of the experience. Uncharted 4 takes control of how it presents its chaos, making its grand moments readable without needing to be loud and presenting memorable scenes that blend great camera work and animations along with player inputs.

There’s a sort of flowing balance between everything Nate does, with exploring, traversal, and combat being given room to breathe alongside a few quiet moments that serve to contrast the action very well. There’s no shortage of games that now bring higher particle counts, special effects, or even armies for protagonists to fend off. But Uncharted 4 is a rare kind of narrative rhythm that can be hard to imitate.

Its pacing makes the balance between its various interactive settings work very well, and given the way its visual presentation and the responsive animations work well with finely tuned gameplay systems, this one is an experience that makes it feel like a classic, and a timeless one at that. In a gaming world where too many titles value bloat over quality gameplay, Uncharted 4 continues to be a game that has blazed its own path to a visual and narrative identity of its own.

It may not be among the biggest or most mechanically complex games out there, but it’s a title where every facet of the experience feels carefully curated, with the end result being a title that continues to serve as a benchmark in the action-adventure genre. Uncharted 4 is especially enjoyable thanks to that, as it’s a relatively shorter experience that feels respectful of its players’ time, in a world where massive maps demand a lot of time and effort from them. Its shorter runtime packs so much more of it all that it can be quite a fulfilling journey to the credits anyway.

Nate’s final outing continues to be a benchmark for new titles in the genre, and it’s a showcase of how a game should weave its story and art style with its gameplay systems and presentation to take players forward through a title that feels so memorable almost by default. It isn’t just a game that looks good for a 2016 title, but continues to be among the cleanest and finely polished blockbuster titles to grace our libraries, and there have been a few of them over the years.

But Uncharted 4 deserves credit for standing tall among them, and being a title that continues to be a consistent presence in discourse about the finest ones ever made. Nate would certainly be proud of how his tale continues to be talked about.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment Hideaki Nishino went into more detail about how generative AI tools are being used at PlayStation. With the goal of automating repetitive workflows, first-party PlayStation studios are using AI to accelerate QA, 3D modeling, and animations. The latter is worth noting, since Nishino has confirmed that the company is using a tool named Mockingbird to generate facial animations based on performance capture data. The Last of Us, Uncharted, and Intergalactic developer Naughty Dog, and MLB: The Show developer San Diego Studio have been confirmed to have adopted this tool.

“Our goal is always to be the best place to play and the best place to publish,” Nishino said. “We see AI as a powerful tool to help us in this mission.” He also reiterated Totoki’s statement, saying that “The vision, the design, and the emotional impact of our games will always come from the talent of our studios and performers. AI is meant to augment their capabilities, not to replace them.”

The use of generative AI has continued to be a big topic of discussion amongst game developers in recent times. Many companies have come out to state that they have been abstaining from implementing these tools into their pre-existing development pipelines. The latest team to do so was Atomic Heart developer Mundfish.

“It’s true, there are a lot of differing opinions on this topic right now,” said studio CEO Robert Bagratuni. “We understand that neural networks and AI can significantly simplify the pre-production phase of projects, helping to iterate ideas faster and reduce overall development time. Because of this, we conducted extensive internal research to evaluate their potential for our workflows. However, at this moment, we have decided not to integrate them into our daily production pipelines.”

IO Interactive, the studio behind the upcoming 007: First Light, has also noted that it hasn’t used generative AI for development. “No, we haven’t. We haven’t worked with AI on the project, generative AI,” said art director Rasmus Poulsen, who went on to note that there was a “combined discussion between core execs in the studio.”

Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick has also noted that, while generative AI has its uses in game development when it comes to tasks like engineering through machine learning, none of the art assets of Grand Theft Auto 6 have been made using AI.

“That said, do I think tools by themselves create great entertainment properties? No, there’s no evidence that that’s the case, and it won’t be the case in the future,” he explained. “Specifically with regards to GTA 6, generative AI has zero part in what Rockstar Games is building. Their worlds are handcrafted. That’s what differentiates them. They’re built from the ground up, building by building, street by street, neighborhood by neighborhood. They’re not procedurally generated; they shouldn’t be. That’s what makes great entertainment.”

“It’s wild how many of my ex-colleagues still message me today saying how amazing TLOU Online was going to be — still the best multiplayer game they’ve ever played. Never going to let what I work on not see the light of day again. Thank you all for your support and confidence!”

The title was cancelled a couple of years ago, and in a statement, Naughty Dog mentioned that the studio wouldn’t have been capable of properly offering post-launch support for the multiplayer game.

“The multiplayer team has been in pre-production with this game since we were working on The Last of Us Part 2 – crafting an experience we felt was unique and had tremendous potential,” Naughty Dog wrote. “As the multiplayer team iterated on their concept for The Last of Us Online during this time, their vision crystallized, the gameplay got more refined and satisfying, and we were enthusiastic about the direction in which we were headed.”

“In ramping up to full production, the massive scope of our ambition became clear. To release and support The Last of Us Online, we’d have to put all our studio resources behind supporting post-launch content for years to come, severely impacting development on future single-player games. So, we had two paths in front of us: become a solely live service games studio or continue to focus on single-player narrative games that have defined Naughty Dog’s heritage.”

Agarwal had mentioned earlier this month that The Last of Us Online was around “80% complete” by the time it was cancelled. He called the moment devastating and “soul-crushing”, since he had worked on the project for seven years, only to never see it get a release.

“That was a devastating moment for me because I spent seven years working on that game, and it was soul-crushing. I remember honestly finding out that it was getting cancelled 24 hours before it was announced to the public. That’s how I found out about the game getting cancelled, and it was just unfortunate, and they had to do that because they have to control the messaging.”

Despite this, however, he expressed empathy for the decision made by Naughty Dog, noting that the company had to pick between continuing to support The Last of Us Online or work with Neil Druckmann on his next project – Intergalactic.

Former technical designer on the project, Nathaniel Ferguson, had also praised The Last of Us Online, calling it the “highlight” of his entire career. He said that it “will always be a very special project for me.”

More recently, Microsoft Game Studios co-founder Laura Fryer discussed the cancellation and called it a good thing, while also noting that the management of the project was quite poorly handled.