Santa Monica Studio is presently hard at work on developing God of War's Ragnarok-centric adventure, but the team has announced that it's also hiring for a brand-new project. Kratos' most recent escapade hit stores shelves in early 2018. As such, many were surprised when Sony unveiled what fans have been referring to as God of War: Ragnarok in late 2020.
The teaser that accompanied the announcement made note of a 2021 release. However, there are those who doubt such a launch window will hold firm. After all, Santa Monica Studio has shown nothing substantial from the sequel as of yet. Not to mention, Sony's first and second-party release slate for the year is already packed with the likes of Returnal, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and Horizon: Forbidden West. But if the latest God of War does land in the next 12 months or so, it seems Santa Monica Studio will dive into something new shortly thereafter.
Earlier today, Santa Monica Studio announced that a position for Art Director has opened at its office. According to the listing, whoever gets the role will join the team currently assigned to a "new unannounced title." The job posting on Greenhouse further indicates the project in question is intended to be another of the studio's "genre-defining games." Of course, additional details remain under wraps as of writing.
Now fans are left to wonder what this new title might entail. Perhaps another God of War after the forthcoming Ragnarok story wraps up? Or could the group have its sights set on developing a new IP altogether? Both possibilities are nothing short of exciting; however, it's the latter that may garner just a bit more interest. The development house's core team hasn't shipped a new property since the advent of God of War way back in 2005. Years ago, the studio explored an original sci-fi idea, helmed by God of War 3's game director, Stig Asmussen, who most recently directed Respawn's Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Despite how long it had been in development, Santa Monica Studio's sci-fi project ultimately landed on the cutting room floor.
While conjecture about the unannounced title starts to pick up steam, there are still plenty of unanswered questions about the next God of War. Chief among them is whether or not the game will launch across both PS4 and PS5. Though Sony's Jim Ryan won't confirm if God of War: Ragnarok is a PS5 exclusive, series creator David Jaffe seems certain it will be playable on both platforms.
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Source: Santa Monica Studio, Greenhouse