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

The reveal of Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet at The Game Awards generated immediate buzz, quickly followed by a storm of controversy. The game's protagonist and thematic elements sparked intense debate, with accusations of a hidden "agenda" from a significant portion of the audience.

Neil Druckmann and Tati Gabriel's attempts to defend the game only fueled the fire, intensifying the backlash.

Seventeen days later, the criticism persists. The announcement trailer sharply divided viewers, racking up 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 on the videos, but the discussion continues unabated across social media.

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

This incident underscores a major challenge for large game studios: navigating the expectations of an increasingly critical and demanding audience.