Hot Galaxy: Intergalactic Burns After Naughty Dog's Controversial Trailer

The unveiling of Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet at The Game Awards immediately captured public attention, but this initial enthusiasm quickly transformed into widespread criticism.

The controversy focused on the game's protagonist and themes, with some accusing the game of promoting a specific "agenda."

Statements from Neil Druckmann and Tati Gabriel, intended to defend the game and quell the backlash, only intensified the controversy.

Even after 17 days, the negative reaction persists. The announcement trailer sparked a highly polarized response, accumulating a massive number of dislikes on YouTube. On the official PlayStation channel, dislikes surpassed 260,000, significantly outnumbering the 90,000 likes. The Naughty Dog channel fared no better, with over 170,000 dislikes against approximately 70,000 likes. Comments on the video were ultimately disabled to contain the escalating criticism, but the debate continues to rage across other social media platforms.

However, the future of Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet remains uncertain. Naughty Dog has a proven track record of overcoming initial negative reception and achieving success. 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.