Neil Druckmann already clarified that he never said Naughty Dog’s next game would redefine mainstream perception. But it already has.
Earlier this year, Sony pulled back an interview it had with Neil Druckmann, co-president of Naughty Dog (ND). In it, there was a quote from Druckmann that said Naughty Dog’s upcoming game would “redefine mainstream perceptions of gaming.” Druckmann later clarified that it wasn’t what he said at all.
Oh boy are people unhappy about this game. | Image Credit: Naughty Dog
Regardless of whether that’s what he said the reveal and reception of ND’s new game titled Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is probably not what he was talking about. In a surprising (not really) development, the initial feedback for the trailer has been divisive.
Neil Druckmann probably didn’t expect gamers to react like this
The Game Awards 2024 brought the first trailer for Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, but the response to it has been a mixed bag. Fans have already started to debate over Druckmann and the studio’s creative choices and the balance between what has come to be known as “wokeness,” and audience expectations. What’s the saying? Go woke, go broke?
In May 2024, Druckmann shared his excitement about the studio’s new IP saying that it was something “fresh” for the studio and that he’s “excited to see how the world reacts to it.” Coming off the success of The Last of Us TV adaptation, he wanted the deep narrative of games to be recognized outside of just gamers.
In editing my rambling answers in my recent interview with SONY, some of my words, context, and intent were unfortunately lost. Well, here’s the full long rambling answer for the final question about our future game… pic.twitter.com/tVuxX3LYJF
— Neil Druckmann (@Neil_Druckmann) May 25, 2024
But the trailer is out and how the world has reacted is probably not what Druckmann was expecting at all. The backlash against Intergalactic began immediately after its trailer was revealed. The complaints from fans range from the protagonist’s design to the perceived overuse of branding in the trailer. The studio even disabled comments on its upload of the trailer on YouTube.
2024 has been really inclusive about all the criticism of inclusivity in gaming
Yasuke from Assassin’s Creed Shadows has been a controversial figure. | Image via Ubisoft
The majority of the criticism from the trailer focuses on the character of Jordana A. Mun, a seemingly mixed-race, non-conventionally attractive, and visibly strong female bounty hunter who is the game’s protagonist. What seems like the entire internet immediately accused the studio of pandering to diversity and inclusion trends.
Maybe it’s just me but I feel like the market for masculine, non conventionally attractive female leads in games isn’t as big as the video game industry thinks it is
— Zack (@Asmongold) December 13, 2024
Popular Twitch streamer Asmongold (as he does) has already weighed in on the discussion by claiming that the market for “masculine, non conventionally attractive” female leads is smaller than the industry seems to believe. This isn’t the first time this particular topic has come up in the industry this year.
There have been multiple occasions this year where the topic of “wokeness” and DEI in gaming have been brought up. The biggest of these discussions was regarding the new Assassin’s Creed game featuring Yasuke, an “African samurai of historical legend.” Despite the game being set in feudal Japan, fans had a lot to say about how historically accurate it was (or wasn’t).
During a recent BAFTA Talk reported by Gamesradar, VP executive producer Marc-Alexis Côté discussed #AssassinsCreed Shadows and commented on its recent controversies:
🔴 “While both Naoe and Yasuke’s stories are works of fiction, they will reflect (…) the complexity and… pic.twitter.com/r0pUWiBDH9
— Access The Animus (@AccessTheAnimus) November 2, 2024
Another such occasion was Ubisoft’s use of a female protagonist named Kay Vess in Star Wars Outlaws. There was a lot of criticism from fans calling the character ugly and unappealing to play. Hell, even the new reveal for The Witcher 4 hasn’t escaped this trend as people online are calling Ciri’s appearance in the trailer ugly.
As for Naughty Dog, this isn’t the first time the studio has faced criticism for challenging norms in gaming. The Last of Us Part II went through its own share of backlash for narrative decisions and its LGBTQ+ representation, yet it ultimately succeeded critically and commercially.
Regardless of what people online have thought of it, Naughty Dog has consistently delivered good games, and how one character looks in one trailer shouldn’t be a reason to pick up any pitchforks (at least not yet).
