FandomWire has the exclusive scoop on a rumor about the next God of War title from Santa Monica Studio. Before we dive into anything, it must be mentioned that due to the nature of all rumors, this information must be taken with a hefty grain of salt, for details could be either changed before release or embellished. With that disclaimer out of the way, let’s jump straight into the meat of this exciting news.
To start with, Santa Monica Studio’s next God of War game will apparently be “a prequel starring a character from the last two games.” Although he will not be the player character, I was told “Kratos will appear” in the game, though how big his role will be was not made clear. Due to this change, the game’s combat mechanics will be very different from those of the most recent two entries in the franchise, featuring a wide array of magic-based attacks and skills to hone.
Who Stars in the Next God of War?
While the next God of War will not star Kratos, it will star a familiar face. The 2018 entry in the franchise first noted that Týr, the Aesir God of War and a major character in God of War Ragnarök, had traveled extensively throughout different lands hosting different mythologies. Not only had he visited Greece, seen Kratos’ homeland, and the gods who lived there, but there are other symbols that show he also encountered Egyptian mythological figures, Celtic figures, as well as Japanese figures.
As such, the next God of War will be a prequel starring Freya who visits these different lands alongside Týr. No word on exactly which mythologies will be explored, but it will apparently be a journey that explores multiple different legends to varying degrees of focus. Týr is likely to be explored more deeply as a character, and it was implied (though not stated explicitly) that Faye, Kratos’ second wife and mother to Atreus, will also appear in some capacity. However, the primary focus will be on Freya as the lead playable character of the game.
I was also told that the currently targeted release window for the next God of War is “in the next two years” and as such, work is progressing rapidly on it. However, apparently, some members of the team feel this window is unrealistic and such a target will not be hit. Most environments still lack much detail and many enemy and ally AI characters are stuck T-posing without animations yet. Regardless, supposedly the aim is to have it out for the PlayStation 5.
In addition to all of this, I was told a true sequel to Ragnarök with Atreus in the starring role following his exit at the end of that game is intended to be the next game after this, likely not until much closer to the end of the PlayStation 5’s lifespan, possibly even landing on the PlayStation 6. However, how such plans so distant would be known to the source of all this info is uncertain to me, so, as with everything else mentioned here, this should be taken with a helping of salt greater than your doctor would likely recommend.
How much of these plans will come to fruition is of course up in the air. Many things could be subject to change, and I was told that next God of War had to be scaled back significantly in order to make the two-year deadline realistic. I was informed something like one to two-thirds of the planned content for the game has already been scrapped and that even still current deadline seems lofty.
As always, take any rumors you read with a grain of salt. It may be quite some time until we receive any kind of official word as to what Santa Monica Studio has in the works. This is not the only information floating around about the next God of War title, with the studio having posted a listing for a combat designer with a requirement stating that applicants:
“Must have knowledge of God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarök (2022) and be able to speak in depth about the combat systems, mechanics, and enemies.”
How do you feel about what you have read about the next God of War? Do you think this prequel sounds exciting, or does it upset you? Are you hoping to hear more or do you not believe it at all? Let us know in the comments and on our social media feeds!
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