Intergalactic is on fire. After two weeks, criticism of Naughty Dog's trailer has not subsided

The unveiling of Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet at The Game Awards generated immediate buzz, but this quickly morphed into widespread criticism. The controversy centers on the game's protagonist and thematic elements, which some players allege promote a specific "agenda."

Neil Druckmann and Tati Gabriel's attempts to address the concerns only fueled the fire, intensifying the backlash. Even seventeen days later, the criticism persists. The announcement trailer proved highly polarizing, accumulating over 260,000 dislikes on the official PlayStation YouTube channel—significantly outnumbering the 90,000 likes. The Naughty Dog channel fared no better, with over 170,000 dislikes compared to approximately 70,000 likes. Comments have since been disabled, but the debate continues to rage across social media platforms.

However, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet's future remains uncertain. Naughty Dog has a history of transforming initial negativity into triumph, and the game still has the potential to defy expectations.

This incident underscores a significant challenge for major game studios: navigating the increasingly demanding expectations of their audience.