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Those of us who have been in the gaming space for more than a few years will clearly remember the hot water that Naughty Dog got into with fans when The Last of Us Part II came out in 2020. Fans took umbrage with certain story choices which we won’t discuss because they’re probably going to come up in season two of the HBO show this year. Now Neil Druckmann has confirmed that the backlash against The Last of Us Part II was part of the inspiration for Naughty Dog’s new game – but not how you think.

“With The Last of Us 2, we made certain creative decisions that got us a lot of hate,” Druckmann said on the Creator to Creator podcast with 28 Years Later writer Alex Garland. “A lot of people love it, but a lot of people hate that game.”

Garland had an apt response to that. “Who gives a shit?”

“Exactly,” Druckman continued. “But the joke is like, you know what? Let’s do something that people won’t care as much about. Let’s make a game about faith and religion.”

The controversy around The Last of Us Part II was largely around the character of Abby, which was so intense that her actor, Laura Bailey, received multiple death threats and security on the set of season two of the series was stepped up to avoid the same thing happening to her live-action counterpart. The fact that Druckmann’s response was to create a story that plays with the themes of religion and faith – set 2000 years in the future – in response to that fan reaction is the most exciting thing about Naughty Dog’s next game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.

AAA gaming needs studios that are more willing to take big swings and aren’t afraid to miss sometimes. Naughty Dog has the track record to tackle big stories and controversial themes, so why shouldn’t they swing for the fences? The best art happens when you ask yourself “Who gives a shit?” after all.

You don't need to beat the game to prepare for the next one—here are all the major new and upcoming games coming our way.