The reveal of Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet at The Game Awards generated immediate buzz, quickly turning into widespread backlash.
Controversy erupted over the game's protagonist and themes, with some accusing it of promoting a specific "agenda." Statements from Neil Druckmann and Tati Gabriel, intended to quell the criticism, only intensified the firestorm.
Even after 17 days, the negative reaction persists. The announcement trailer sparked a significant divide, garnering a massive number of dislikes on YouTube. On the official PlayStation channel, dislikes surpassed 260,000, dwarfing the 90,000 likes. The Naughty Dog channel fared no better, with over 170,000 dislikes against approximately 70,000 likes. Comments were disabled to attempt damage control, but the debate continues to rage across social media.
However, the game's future isn't sealed. Naughty Dog has a history of transforming initial criticism into triumph, and Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet still has the potential to defy expectations.
This incident underscores a major challenge for large studios: navigating the expectations of an increasingly vocal and demanding audience.
