The never-ending Sony first-party release window discourse continues with God of War Ragnarök, and everyone not named Sony Santa Monica should stop talking about it. Some fans are upset that the conclusion to the new God of War saga has nary made a peep since September of 2021. Still, like many other studios during these difficult times, Sony Santa Monica is not immune to the effects of world events. For the last few months, significant outlets and reporters have been playing a game of ping pong regarding whether or not the blockbuster sequel will meet the slated 2022 release window - but it's about time everyone gives God of War's team a bit of breathing room.
Teased back in September of 2020, Sony lifted the curtain on a new trailer for God of War Ragnarök, arguably the most anticipated sequel in Sony's catalog aside from Marvel's Spider-Man 2, inadvertently setting off a timer in the minds of some fans; clearly, this unveiling meant for franchise evangelists that the long (read: two years) wait had finally come to an end. The teaser was short, sweet, and to the point. It would be one year later before Ragnarök was once again unveiled to the public in a supercut showing off gameplay, cutscene moments, and travel sequences. Though a vocal minority criticized the game for reusing some animations - something every smartly-developed sequel should be doing anyway - the general reception was incredibly positive. God of War Ragnarök was given a 2022 release window, but no firm date was attached.
Fast-forward to today, and the team has been relatively quiet except for a few interviews from Kratos' actor, Christopher Judge, and a video update from the first title's director, Cory Balrog. On April 20, 2022, in a tweet provided by the team at Sony Santa Monica, Balrog issued a heartfelt thank you to the fans to celebrate the 2018 God of War's fourth anniversary, as well as explaining why the team has been so quiet. Balrog explains that the team is "heads down, hard at work" and will show something "as soon as it's ready." Since then, it's been an endless chorus of speculation anytime PlayStation so much as whispers on social media, and it's fair to say it's grown tedious.
No, God Of War Ragnarök Hasn't Been Delayed Again
Jason Schreier of Bloomberg dropped a report earlier in June stating that his sources have confirmed that God of War: Ragnarök has not been delayed, countering the claims he cited in the same article from gaming website Gamereactor that the title had slipped into the 2023 release year behind the scenes. Schreier put it best in his tweet promoting his article: "Video game development is turbulent and could very well slip again," - something insiders and fans know all too well. The truth of the matter is, no matter how badly fans may want a game to release, rushing it and putting undue pressure on developers will do nothing but potentially compromise the final product.
It's time to put the relentless begging and asking to rest. The ending to God of War's Norse story is in the hands of some hugely talented developers. However, for Sony Santa Monica to do that, it's important to stop asking them when God of War Ragnarök is coming out and let them get back to work - it'll be ready when it's ready.
Source: Twitter/Sony Santa Monica, Bloomberg, Twitter/Jason Schreier