Despite the limited information revealed about Naughty Dog's new sci-fi game, "Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet," the project has already drawn significant backlash. Likely influenced by the lingering controversies surrounding "The Last of Us Part II," many players grew agitated upon seeing the new protagonist is a bald woman, preemptively labeling the game as another politically correct "DEI" (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) project.
As a result, after Naughty Dog released the first trailer, the video racked up 160,000 dislikes on YouTube, while the version on PlayStation's channel accumulated 220,000 dislikes.
This trend of players attacking and boycotting a game before its details are even announced prompted Michael Douse, Head of Publishing at "Baldur's Gate 3" developer Larian Studios, to post on X (formerly Twitter), expressing his deep concern over the increasingly divisive environment in the video game industry.
Douse wrote that the industry is heading into a very difficult period from 2025 onwards, noting that social divisions have seeped into the space and that the controversies and criticisms faced by creators will only become more common.
"The only way to deal with it is to see it coming, and not to ignore, mock or inflame it. You might think that’s unfair, or that it shouldn’t be that way, but it is," Douse stated.
This phenomenon isn't limited to "Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet." After CD Projekt Red released the trailer for the fourth installment in "The Witcher" series, some male players were unsatisfied with protagonist Ciri's more mature appearance, angrily accusing the game of being invaded by "political correctness."
In response to the overwhelming negative feedback and dislikes for "Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet," Naughty Dog opted to disable the comments on its YouTube video. This approach may be why Douse emphasized the need to "not ignore, not mock, not provoke."
When a user asked if the divisive culture in the gaming industry and the related controversies on social media would ever subside, Douse responded on X:
"I don't think so. People are becoming more individualistic, which leads to everyone thinking they're right in order to defend their positions. This creates the phenomenon of 'the Other' (an intention established by self-awareness to distinguish oneself from others[WIKI])."
"Everyone wants to find their echo chamber to feel secure in their positions, which I can understand (for better or worse, I'm not criticizing anyone), but this is the reality we live in now."
"In this industry, higher risks mean you have to try to please everyone, but that approach is contrary to success. I certainly believe in individualism (meaning you can be anyone, as long as you don't harm anyone), but when individualism is overemphasized or distorted, it can easily lead to social division, and that division ultimately fills the world with assholes."
However, even as society changes and communities become fractured by hate, greatly impacting game development, Douse seems to remain optimistic about moving forward on this challenging creative path. He also said on X:
"I've always wanted to contribute to the gaming industry by creating a space where every player can be who they want to be, both externally and internally, and feel happy with their choices without being judged by anyone. That's what a diverse experience is. I think that's the biggest reason I love RPGs—because they give players the power of choice, rather than trying to take it away," Douse said.