Leaked concept art for God of War 4 suggests that the next game in the series will be based on Norse mythology instead of Greek, and star a Viking version of Kratos.

Anyone that has played through the God of War franchise should know that, due to the events of God of War 3, pulling off a sequel still based on Greek mythology could be difficult. However, if recently leaked concept art is any indication, it seems as though God of War 4 will be able to avoid any plot issues by getting rid of Greek mythology altogether in favor of a Norse mythology setting.

The concept art has been posted on NeoGAF, after initially being obtained by NerdLeaks. NeoGAF user shinobi602 confirmed the leaks to be accurate, but also expressed regret that the leak occurred, as NerdLeaks apparently bypassed a password-protected portion of former Sony Santa Monica artist Finnian Macmanus' website in order to obtain the alleged God of War 4 concept art.

The concept art shows many different locations that appear to be based on Asgard, complete with the rainbow bridge and what appears to be the great hall of Valhalla. The art also seems to depict a Viking version of Kratos, dressed in the garb from the era and equipped with two hatchets, as opposed to the Blades of Athena that he usually uses to slay his enemies.

Unlike other leaks and rumors, it does appear as though fans can assume that this concept art is legitimate, for a few different reasons. For one, the art was taken from the website of a former Sony Santa Monica studio artist, which is the Sony studio behind most of the God of War titles. Secondly, we already know that God of War 4 is in development, so it makes sense that concept art for the game has already been created.

Something else in favor of the legitimacy of the God of War 4 concept art leak is the confirmation from NeoGAF user shinobi602. Shinobi602 is a proven industry insider, and in the past correctly predicted things like Assassin's Creed Unity having 4-player co-op. Shinobi602 also recently leaked the information that next Call of Duty will be set in the far future, and also had information to share about the recently leaked Mass Effect: Andromeda jetpack footage as well.

Having said that, there is still a possibility that this art is not indicative of the final game. Plans change during development all the time, and there is a chance that this Norse mythology take on the God of War series was a discarded idea. With E3 2016 right around the corner, we will likely find out soon if God of War 4 will be based on Norse mythology, like the leaked concept art suggests, or something else entirely.

God of War 4 has yet to be officially announced, but will likely release as a PlayStation 4 exclusive.

Source: GameSpot