Naughty Dog's next game may have a greater emphasis on player freedom

Key conclusions

New rumors claim that Naughty Dog's next game will have a greater emphasis on player freedom than the studio's previous games.
Naughty Dog boss Neil Druckmann has previously mentioned an interest in Elden Ring's famous environmental narrative format.
Elden Ring is also known to offer a ton of choice to players, confirming the rumors surrounding Naughty Dog's next game.

Naughty dog She reportedly prefers player freedom in the next game, according to a reliable insider. The award-winning studio is currently working on a new single-player IP, and it might just be a lot different from Naughty Dog's previous games.

Since its inception in 1984, Naughty Dog has spawned some of the greatest franchises in the gaming industry, especially under the PlayStation umbrella. Unfortunately, the ornate studio has faced a bit of turbulence in recent years. Many Naughty Dog fans have expressed disappointment that the studio has only released remakes and remasters since the PS5 launched in late 2020. Cancellation The Last of Us Online project last year further threw a wrench into Naughty Dog's release schedule.

crash bandicoot, uncharted 4, the last of us part 2

Relatives

Every Naughty Dog video game franchise, ranked

For decades, Naughty Dog has remained extremely iconic in the gaming scene, and their masterfully crafted franchises are some of the best.

While it's been known for some time now that Naughty Dog is developing a brand new IP, there have been very few details about the long-awaited project. However, The MinnMax Show host Ben Hanson may have leaked some valuable information about Naughty Dog's new IP. In the latest episode of the podcast, Hanson mentioned that he heard from “someone very knowledgeable” that Naughty Dog's next game would be “amazing” and have “a lot of freedom for players.” Hanson's source also apparently compared it to a certain game, but he refrained from revealing that information during the episode, presumably to protect the source.

Naughty Dog's next game could take inspiration from Elden Ring

Interestingly, a 2023 interview with Neil Druckmann revealed that the Naughty Dog boss is intrigued Elden Ringa narrative format that relies more on environmental subtext and less on cinematography and dialogue. Elden Ring is also a prime example of a game that offers players enormous choice and freedom. If Naughty Dog's next game really takes design cues Elden Ringfans can expect a much more open and unlimited adventure compared to the likes of Unknown and The last of us.

Although the rumors are rather vague in nature, fans should still take them with a grain of salt. The amount of player freedom is not addressed here, so it would be unreasonable to expect Naughty Dog's next game to be as wide and open as Elden Ring based on Druckmann's comments. Still, there's a lot of excitement about what Naughty Dog's new IP will bring, and it looks like the studio may be venturing into some uncharted territory for it.