A sequel to 2018’s God of War seems like a sure thing. Not only did it sell very well for Sony and Santa Monica Studio, but the game itself leaves a lot of hints that a sequel is happening. With this in mind, many fans are wondering if a God of War 2 is actually happening, and if it’s coming to PS5.
So far, Sony has officially remained quiet about whether or not a God of War 2 is in development. The company does have other big exclusives on its plate that it likely want to focus on first, after all. However, over the past year or so, a number of clues have surfaced indicating that not only is Santa Monica Studio gearing up to work on the game, but that it’ll be coming to PlayStation 5.
Here’s everything we know about God of War 2:
God of War 2 PS5 release date and rumors
Given the fact that Sony is already gearing up for the launch of the PlayStation 5, it should be a no-brainer to guess that a God of War 2 will be coming to the system. The real question though is whether or not the game will be a launch title for the console. A good part of the answer to this question, lies on when Sony’s next-generation console is actually launching.
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Back in July, Santa Monica Studio posted a job listing for an “experienced Senior Character Concept artist.” While the listing did not specifically mention working on a God of War sequel, it did state that whoever was accepted would be joining the team behind the 2018 game. In addition to this, the listing also stated that the job would involve working with the team’s art directors to create “characters, gods, creatures, and props.” The mention of “gods” seems to be the biggest clue that this is for the God of War sequel.
WILL GOD OF WAR 2 BE A PS5 LAUNCH GAME?
Considering that the the project seems to be at the concept art stage, based on the listing, it’s likely that the game itself is still at an early stage. With this in mind, we can most likely safely assume that a God of War 2 will not be a launch title should the PS5 arrive in the first half of 2020, as some rumors have suggested. Should the PS5 launch later in the year however, say holiday season, then it could possibly make launch but it is probably going to be a big game so don’t count on it.
That said, even if the game could be done within now and holiday 2020, the time frame does feel a bit too short for Sony’s usual hype cycle. The company likes to spend months, or even years hyping up the release of a game (2018’s God of War was first announced in 2016), and it’ll likely want to do the same for a God of War 2. With all of this in mind, a God of War 2 will most likely not be a PS5 launch title.
God of War 2 news
If there’s one thing we are sure of, it’s that a God of War 2, or something like it is being worked on at Santa Monica Studio. Aside from the concept artist listing mentioned above, the studio has posted other job listings that seem to be related to the project.
One of these listings is for a Senior Combat Designer, and it clearly references the 2018 game. Specifically, the listing asks that applicants “must have knowledge of God of War (2018) and be able to speak in depth about the combat systems, mechanics and enemies.”
Meanwhile, another listing for a Facial Blend Shape Character Artist specifically asks for “next-gen videogame platform experience.” This listing is interesting as it’s likely that there are very few people with experience with next-gen platforms at this point. Though, it does confirm that the game is for PlayStation 5.
A more interesting listing however, is one for a System Designer that asks for “expertise in action games or action RPGs.” The 2018 reboot already featured a number of RPG mechanics, so it looks like the sequel may be leaning even more into those.
God of War 2 rumors, and speculation
Outside of the job postings, there has been little that’s actually come out in regards to a God of War 2. Nothing substantial about the game has been leaked. However, Game Director Cory Barlog made a huge literal wink to the game at GDC 2019. During his panel at the 50:16 mark, he said he can’t answer whether he is making another God of War before doing a large wink to the audience, who laughed at the not-so-subtle joke.
Fans have also been theorizing about the game. The 2018 game itself leaves a number of breadcrumbs that hint at what its sequel will cover. Numerous characters and plot points in the game hint that the series’ story is leading up to Ragnarok — the great battle that sees the fall of the Norse gods. The biggest of these is none other than the identity of Kratos’ son, Atreus. Upon reaching it’s finale, the game reveals that the Norse name that Atreus’ mother gave him is Loki. Yes, that Loki, the trickster god of the Norse pantheon who’s heavily involved in Ragnarok.
RAGNAROK IS COMING TEASER
The possibility of the God of War sequel involving Ragnarok has led to some speculation about its actual title being “God of War: Ragnarok.” With God of War 2 also being the name of the original 2005 game’s sequel, the new game using a different name, or possibly a subtitle does make sense.
Another hint at this comes from the free PS4 theme that Sony dropped this past April to celebrate the one year anniversary of the game. Specifically, the theme comes with a hidden line in runic script that states “Ragnarok is Coming.”
God of War 2 Xbox One, Switch, or PC port
With as big a game as the 2018 God of War, some players outside of Sony’s ecosystem may be wondering if they’ll be able to play it as well. Unlike competitors, Sony has been pretty comfortable keeping its games exclusive to its PlayStation consoles.
That said, the company recently mentioned that it could be open for multiplatform titles in the future. Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios chairman Shawn Layden stated, in a recent interview, that the company was open to seeing some of its exclusives go on PC. However, as part of this, Layden specifically mentioned multiplayer titles that could take advantage of the PC control scheme. Seeing as God of War doesn’t fall under this umbrella, on top of it being a pretty big franchise, any sequel will most likely remain a PlayStation exclusive.
Will God of War 2 happen?
At this point, it’s safe to say that a God of War 2, or whatever it ends up bring called, is in development. As previously mentioned, the game’s itself leaves a lot of hooks for one to be made. More importantly, Santa Monica Studio seems to be actively recruiting talent to work on the game.
With this in mind, fans of the series and of PlayStation can likely rest easy knowing that a new God of War will most likely be coming. The only question then is when Sony will eventually reveal the game, and how long fans will have to wait to get their hands on it.
