God of War was a massive hit for both Sony and developer Santa Monica back when it launched in early 2018. Serving as a premier action adventure for the PS4 and a soft reboot for the series as a whole, the epic journey served as a testament to what could be achieved in terms of narrative, combat and world building in a video game. Coming as little surprise to anyone, a follow-up unofficially dubbed God of War: Ragnarok was formally announced during a Sony State of Play event in September 2020, with a simple logo and Kratos' narration setting the tone for the sequel.
Santa Monica is without a doubt a talented team, and ranks neck and neck with other first party PlayStation studios like Naughty Dog and Insomniac. With every new release, the bar is raised in terms of what is pulled off, as the battles are bigger and storylines more engaging. God of War was the most ambitious title to date for the franchise, and with the Thor tease at the end of the game, it seems that the seeds are being planted for the next installment to somehow be even bigger. While there is no doubt Santa Monica will pull off another stellar experience with God of War: Ragnarok, the only questionable aspect so far is the suggested release year of 2021. With nothing but a logo to go on thus far, and the year already half over, it remains uncertain whether the game will meet its estimated launch window.
The Scale of a God of War Game
Each new God of War has been a testament to the technology of its time, pushing the boundaries of what is possible on a home gaming console over the years. From the gigantic Hydra boss battle in the PS2 original, to the stunning Kronos boss fight in God of War 3, the series has never settled for anything less than the highest level of quality and polish when it comes to pushing the envelope. The 2018 title on PS4 took the concept even further, serving as one of the most massive worlds available on the system. The big, interconnected world took time to explore and the game's deep RPG systems complimented the sensation new combat system.
All of these enhancements and improvements are not easy to achieve, and can prove to be a very time consuming and even stressful effort for a team even as large as Santa Monica's. In a behind the scenes documentary showing the lengthy, difficult production of the game called "Raising Kratos," director Cory Barlog and others discuss how mentally taxing and physically exhausting it was to deliver the 2018 game to the public. From its earliest conceptions back in 2014, to the E3 reveal in 2016, up until its launch, the game was a huge undertaking for everyone involved.
Making games isn't easy, and with a sequel potentially being just as challenging to make as the original, its logical to assume that God of War: Ragnarok won't release in 2021 when all is said and done. The studio will obviously have a lot of the core designs and mechanics in place from the 2018 game, easing the process a bit, but there still remains work in other areas like improving the graphics and adding more moves to the combat. With God of War: Ragnarok being first revealed barely two and a half years after the original, many were immediately skeptical that the title would be ready so soon, especially with nothing more to show beyond a brief logo on the screen.
The Silence Surrounding God of War: Ragnarok
Speaking of the reveal for God of War: Ragnarok, that moment is already eight months old, with no proper updates regarding the game's development aside from brief tweets from Cory Barlog. Of course, this is all assumption, and Sony could very well be planning a huge blowout event during the E3 2021 season (though Sony won't have an actual event at E3 itself). However, a fellow PlayStation 5 exclusive, Horizon: Forbidden West, is also scheduled for a 2021 release and is likely to finally be given the spotlight this summer. With so many games, Sony won't want them to step on each other's toes, and considering the extra year that Guerilla has had to develop its own sequel compared to Santa Monica (Horizon: Zero Dawn launched in 2017), there may be more substantial footage to show for it instead.
Aside from this, there are other elements making the silence surrounding God of War: Ragnarok that much more concerning. The jump to the PS5 is sure to have had some learning curves for the team to work around, getting a grip on the new hardware to see what can be done going forward. While already a tall order as is, this past year hasn't exactly been easy for any industry in the world due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Many companies had employees continue working from home, creating an extra layer of struggle and challenge to an already difficult goal. This requires even further co-ordination and changing the creative process to a new procedure with everyone splintered off in different locations.
As stated above, this is in no way a cast of doubt on the talent of Santa Monica themselves, as the studio has proven time and again how to deliver a top quality video game. But with time going by and real world factors possibly impacting the development, God of War: Ragnarok may still be a game far off into the future.
God of War: Ragnarok is scheduled to release in 2021 for PS5.