Sony finally admitted that yes, God of War: Ragnarok is indeed the highly anticipated sequel’s official name, while also giving us pretty healthy look at its gameplay, and revealing new details about the story. Following the show, an interview with the game’s developers was also shown, while a post was also published on the PlayStation Blog– all of which is to say that we have quite a few new details on the game to go over.
The most significant detail, of course, is the change in leadership. Cory Barlog, who director God of War (2018) and God of War 2 before that, will not be returning as creative director on God of War: Ragnarok. Instead, it is being developed by Eric Williams, who has been a designer on each of the mainline God of War games. Barlog, it seems, is working on something new that is (presumably) in the early stages of development. Job listings have suggested that SIE Santa Monica’s new IP features fantasy setting.
During the aforementioned, Williams also spoke about how Ragnarok will continue to have a strong emotional core in its story, with the relationship between Kratos and Atreus once again being a pivotal part of the narrative. Meanwhile, Williams also provided some brief details on what roles Ragnarok, Thor, Odin, and more will play in the game’s story. You can watch the full interview in the timestamped video below.
Meanwhile, several new details on the game have also emerged from the aforementioned PlayStation Blog update. Thor and Freya will serve as the game’s main antagonists, and the relationship between Kratos and Atreus is straining, who disagree on whether or not they should continue to be involved with Aesir affairs.
Meanwhile, combat in the game will “push player choice.” SIE Santa Monica senior community manager Grace Orlady writes: “Whether it’s through hard hitting combos, a mastery of elements, or clever defensive tactics – you will find plenty of opportunity to fight alongside our duo in a way that feels uniquely expressive.” Meanwhile, some new enemy types are also briefly detailed, with mention of Kratos finding himself “under the hooves of the Stalker or grabbed between the jaws of a Dreki.”
Another major detail that has been revealed is that God of War: Ragnarok will allow players to go to all nine realms, unlike its predecessor, which only had six. This mans Vanaheim, Svartalfheim, and Asgard will be featured in the sequel. Returning locations from the previous game, meanwhile, will have new areas. “Exploring the realms will take you everywhere from verdant, otherworldly jungles to intricate subterranean mining networks,” writes Orlady. “This next installment in the series will bring you a more diverse, beautiful, and mysterious variety of locations than in any other God of War game.”
Finally, several new screenshots of the game (all from the recent trailer itself), have also been released. Check them out below.
God of War: Ragnarok will launch some time in 2022 for PS5 and PS4.