Sony's latest foray in console gaming, the PlayStation 5, released in November of last year to great reviews. While stock shortages of the console have proven to be disappointing for many fans, there isn't any shortage of jaw-dropping titles for players who managed to snag one. Many last-gen titles like God of War 2018 have also been upgraded to take advantage of the more powerful hardware, which gives veterans a reason to return to the game, as well as provide newcomers an even more inviting experience.
While there may be plenty to choose from, many fans are still waiting on the promised next-gen titles to come out. Many of these games like Horizon: Forbidden West have a somewhat firm release window, but others like the God of War Ragnarok sequel lack that kind of information. Latest rumors and speculations suggest that the game would get delayed out of 2021, and that could turn out to be a blessing in disguise for God of War.
Ragnarok Is A Full-Blown Sequel To 2018's God of War
God of War was perhaps one of the most important and best games of 2018. The game dared to do something different, straying far away from its roots deep into unchartered territory. The once spectacle-driven series of action games was transformed into one that prided itself on its story. That's not to say the other aspects weren't promising, with the newly-formed combat loop and single-take camera being standout highlights. Fans are still excited about the sequel, with rumors and speculations running wild in hopes of getting out more information on the game.
2018's Spider-Man also received similar praise, with many critics calling it out to be one of the best Spider-Man games of all time. In a similar fashion to God of War, expectations ran high for the next game in the series. Spider-Man: Miles Morales quickly followed suit, by being a launch title for the PS5 in 2020. While the game is exceptional in its own right, many fans were disgruntled by the fact that it was more of an expansion rather than a full-blown sequel. This doesn't mean that the game was rushed out or lacking in content, but it arguably didn't do much to shake up the familiar core gameplay from the first game.
While it's just fan speculation at this point, many believe that God of War Ragnarok would be a full-blown sequel unlike a side story such as Spider-Man: Miles Morales. That's ultimately a good thing, as the first game already has a lot of content to keep players enthralled for long periods of time. Fans are excited at the prospect of seeing a lot of newer things, with the most recent one being about making Atreus a playable character for the sequel.
A Delay Seems Likelier By The Day
Ever since the reveal of God of War Ragnarok, not much information has been shelled out to fans. While there wasn't any solid gameplay or narrative information revealed in the tease video, many fans took note of the trailer's vague release window of 2021. However, many have come to believe that Sony specifically chose such a time to increase the value behind a Day 1 purchase for the PS5, with the promise of Ragnarok as a system seller. In addition to this, God of War Ragnarok commenced development shortly after the release of 2018's God of War. This means that the game was in development for roughly 2 years before COVID-19 hit hard.
As is the case with many other upcoming titles, the transition to a work from home environment could have caused many internal delays, which may have pushed the potential release to a later date. Even if that's not the case, a development time of three years seems very unrealistic for a company to develop a full-blown AAA sequel, albeit on the same game engine. This fact is further bolstered by the lack of information on the developer's part, as skipping out on opportunities to build hype for such long periods of time likely wouldn't help Ragnarok in any way.
God of War Ragnarok Shouldn't Release In 2021 Anyways
Despite a plethora of delays to many highly anticipated games, 2021 seems to be pretty stocked for new game releases. Players who have managed to snag a PS5 right now have examples like the Demon's Souls Remake and PS Plus' Destruction: Allstars to play until the next major exclusive drops. Yakuza: Like a Dragon's PS5 version and the upcoming sci-fi roguelike Returnal could be great games releasing in March. May features the heavily anticipated Deathloop, which is touted as a puzzle FPS where players would need to figure out a way to escape from the time loop.
In addition to these releases, two notable exclusives Horizon: Forbidden West and Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart are set to release this year. There's still more on the horizon, with multi-platform games like Resident Evil: Village, Ghostwire: Tokyo, and Atomic Heart among many others. Keeping up with the theme of releasing two first-party titles annually, 2021 seems a very unlikely release window for God of War Ragnarok. While the game would obviously be released when it would be ready, 2022 and beyond could prove an opportune time for God of War Ragnarok to shine the brightest.
God of War Ragnarok is currently in development for PS5.