With recent reports that work on Sony Santa Monica’s next game in development was “going quite well”, and that it was going to be the studio’s “next big thing”, Bloomberg’s Jason Schrier has also indicated that it will be a reinvention of an old IP, similar to the reimagining seen by the newer God of War games.
In a post on ResetEra, Schrier said that it’s going to be a new game from an old franchise, rather than being a new God of War game. He also noted that it’s not going to be a sci-fi game, as well as the fact that it might be a reinvention of an older IP that will make the game feel like a brand new IP. He even brings up comparisons to the newer God of War game when compared to the franchise’s history.
“I’ll put it this way: it’s not a new IP but it might feel like one,” Schreier wrote. “Maybe that’s why people are confused. Please don’t ask me more questions about this – if I wind up reporting more information at any point in the future, it’ll be in an article, not on a forum.”
In the same post, Schrier has also stated that “The sci-fi stuff (that people have apparently believed for years now?) is nonsense.”
In the same ResetEra thread, Schrier had previously noted that the game is going to be the studio’s next big thing, and that it was also being headed up by Cory Barlog. “Cory Barlog’s game is [Sony Santa Monica]’s next big thing,” wrote Barlog about the studio’s new project. “Last time I spoke to anyone about it (a month or two ago) it was going well.”
While Sony Santa Monica is working on a new project, previous reports have indicated that a new God of War game is also under development. The title is expected to be a 2.5D side-scrolling spin-off that takes us back once more to Greece. According to reports, this game has been pushed back to be released in 2026.
It is also worth noting that neither Sony nor Sony Santa Monica have made any official announcements about the studio’s future. With Schrier’s recent comments, it is likely that this metroidvania God of War game is being worked on by an entirely separate studio.
Reports from back in June indicated that Sony has been quite close to officially announcing the metroidvania title. According to Jeff Grubb and Tim Henderson, Sony has been expected to announce the spin-off title relatively soon.
The God of War spin-off is expected to be a side-story that takes place in Kratos’ past when he still lived in Greece. Much like Ubisoft’s Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, the title is expected to offer a fresh take on a series that has traditionally focused on third-person combat with light RPG elements.
In the meantime, check out God of War and God of War Ragnarok composer Bear McCreary’s thoughts on his work on both of the titles.
