The most recent PlayStation 5 Showcase showed off some of the new titles coming to the PlayStation 5, both at launch and ones still in development. The announcement saved for the showcase’s finale was one of the latter: a highly-anticipated sequel to the critically-acclaimed 2018 God of War is in development for the PlayStation 5, with a release date set for 2021.
Like with the 2018 game, the story of this game will once again focus on Norse mythology, deviating from the series’ original premise rooted in Greek mythology. The trailer consisted of a voice mentioning Ragnarök, which refers to the events leading up to the end of the world in Norse mythology. Ragnarök had been mentioned previously in a secret ending for God of War. No other information about the story, gameplay or characters have been given at this time.
The 2018 God of War served as a sort of reboot to the God of War series. While all the games focus around the former Greek god of war, Kratos, the 2018 game featured a second, non-playable protagonist: Atreus, Kratos’s young son. The game won the Game of the Year, Best Game Direction, and Best Action/Adventure Game awards at the Game Awards 2018, as well as being nominated for 5 other award categories, including Best Narrative, Best Score, and best Art Direction. The game was also a success critically, receiving near-perfect scores from many gaming review outlets, and remains one of the highest-scoring PlayStation 4 games of all time.
The announcement for the sequel comes directly after the reveal of the PS Plus Collection, a way for PS Plus members to play popular PlayStation 4 titles on their PlayStation 5, including God of War. This feature is available at launch, and is a perfect move to get new players interested in the series before the release of the sequel.
More information should be revealed closer to the game’s release sometime in 2021.
