ICYMI: New Game Plus Coming To God of War Ragnarök In The Spring

Santa Monica Studio has revealed that God of War
Ragnarök will receive a New Game Plus feature in the spring.

The studio announced the news in a short and quick tweet , stating that the feature would be released in Ragnarök Spring 2023. What to anticipate, though, is uncertain; Santa Monica Studio says it will "share more details as we get closer to the release."

We know many of you have been asking, so we’re happy to confirm that New Game Plus will be coming to #GodofWarRagnarok in Spring 2023!

We’ll share more details once we get closer to the release! 🐻 🐺 pic.twitter.com/vmv5X2USuW

— Santa Monica Studio – God of War Ragnarök (@SonySantaMonica) December 22, 2022

Here’s Whats Included In The Collector's And Jötnar Editions For God of War: Ragnarok

Sony Santa Monica and PlayStation have published a new cinematic video for God of War: Ragnarok, which includes the release date. The company has released a new unboxing video for the Collector's and Jötnar versions of the game. Here’s whats included in each edition:

Collector's Edition

Digital Goods

• God of War: Ragnarok on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4
• Kratos Darkdale Armor
• Darkdale Blade Handles
• Darkdale Axe Grip
• Atreus Darkdale Attire (cosmetic)
• God of War: Ragnarok soundtrack
• Dark Horse Digital Mini Artbook
• God of War: Ragnarok Avatar Set
• God of War: Ragnarok PS4 Theme
  

Physical Goods

• Knowledge Keeper's Shrine Box
• Dwarven Dice Set
• 2-inch Vanir Twins Carvings
• Steelbook 
• 16-inch Mjolnir Replica 

Jötnar Edition

Digital Goods

• God of War: Ragnarok on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4  
  
• Kratos Darkdale Armor
• Darkdale Blade Handles
• Darkdale Axe Grip
• Atreus Darkdale Attire (cosmetic)
• God of War: Ragnarok soundtrack
• Dark Horse Digital Mini Artbook
• God of War: Ragnarok Avatar Set
• God of War: Ragnarok PS4 Theme

Physical Goods

• Knowledge Keeper's Shrine Box (with additional secret compartments compared to the box in the Collector's Edition)
• Falcon, Bear, and Wolf Pin Set
• Legendary Draupnir Ring
• Yggdrasil Cloth Map
• 7-inch God of War: Ragnarok Vinyl Record
• Steelbook
• 16-inch Mjolnir Replica

God of War: Ragnarok preorders, presumably including these two premium versions, will go online on July 15.

God of War: Ragnarok Will Release For PS4 And PS5 In November

PlayStation and Sony Santa Monica Studio have published a new God of War: Ragnarok video, announcing that the highly anticipated sequel to 2018's God of War will be out in November.

Ragnarok will be released for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 on November 9, which means we'll be playing the game in less than five months. 

Here’s What You’ll Need To Run God Of War On PC

The specifications and requirements for playing Sony Santa Monica's 2018 smash hit God of War on PC have been
announced, and as expected, you'll need a powerful machine. It’s recommended you have an Nvidia RTX 3080 for 4K/60FPS on PC, which is a highly sought-after GPU that's nearly impossible to find right now. The recommended PC specs for God of War, on the other hand, are significantly less demanding, requiring only an Nvidia GTX 1060 GPU and an Intel i5-6600K, in addition to the regular Windows 10 requirements.

Here's what you'll need on your PC to play God of War at several visual settings, including minimum, recommended, high, performance, and ultra.

God Of War Coming To PC In January

Sony has announced God of War (2018) will be coming to PC on January 14, 2022. You can pre-purchase God of War on Steam for $49.99. That Steam page reveals a lot of details about this PC port, too. 

“Striking visuals enhanced on PC,” the Steam page reads. “Enjoy true 4K resolution, on supported devices, with unlocked framerates for peak performance. Dial in your settings via a wide range of graphical presets and options including higher resolution shadows, improved screen space reflections, the addition of GTAO and SSDO, and much more.” 

The Steam page also states that God of War on PC will support Nvidia’s Deep Learning Super Sampling to “boost frame rates and generate beautiful, sharp images on select Nvidia GPUs.” God of War will also feature support for both the PlayStation 4 Dualshock 4 controller and the PlayStation 5 DualSense controller, as well as other controllers. It also features 21:9 ultra-widescreen support. 

God of War Squeal Delayed To 2022, Releasing On PS4 And PS5

Sony Santa Monica, the team be-hide God of War, has decided to shift the expected release window of the squeal from 2021 to 2022 instead. The news of the release window delay first broke buried within a recent PlayStation Blog post, but Santa Monica further elaborated with a dedicated post of its own. In a tweet from the California-based studio, it was confirmed that the God of War sequel is expected to drop sometime next year.

"Since the release of the next God of War teaser last year, we've been humbled by the amount of love our community has shown us," reads the above tweet. "We're incredibly grateful to see so many people excited to experience the next chapter of Kratos and Atreus' journey."

It continued, saying, "We remain focused on delivering a top-quality game while maintaining the safety and wellbeing of our team, creative partners, and families. With this in mind, we've made the decision to shift our release window to 2022." 

The God of War squeal is set to release in 2022 for PS4 an PS5. 

pic.twitter.com/LLXnEof2Lg

— Santa Monica Studio Is Hiring (@SonySantaMonica) June 2, 2021

Here Are The Winners Of The 2019 DICE Awards

Game of the Year:
God of War (Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction:
God of War (Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Outstanding Achievement in Game Design: 
God of War (Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Portable Game of the Year: 
Florence (Mountains)

Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game:
Celeste (Matt Makes Games)

Immersive Reality Game of the Year:
Beat Saber (Beat Games)

Immersive Reality Technical Achievement:
Tónandi (Magic Leap)

Outstanding Achievement in Online Gameplay:
Fortnite (Epic Games)

Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year: 
Into The Breach (Subset Games)

Sports Game of the Year: 
Mario Tennis Aces (Nintendo)

Role-Playing Game of the Year:
Monster Hunter: World (Capcom)

Racing Game of the Year:
Forza Horizon 4 (Microsoft)

Fighting Game of the Year:
Super Smash Bros Ultimate (Nintendo)

Family Game of the Year:
Unravel Two (Electronic Arts)

Adventure Game of the Year:
God of War (Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Action Game of the Year:
Celeste (Matt Makes Games)

Outstanding Technical Achievement:
Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar Games)

Outstanding Achievement in Story:
God of War (Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design:
God of War (Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition:
God of War (Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Outstanding Achievement in Character:
God of War (Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction: 
God of War (Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Outstanding Achievement in Animation:
Marvel’s Spider-Man (Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Here Are The Winners From The Game Awards 2018

Game Of The Year

• Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
• Celeste
• God Of War
• Marvel’s Spider-Man
• Monster Hunter: World
• Red Dead Redemption II

Best Ongoing Game

• Destiny 2: Forsaken
• Fortnite
• No Man’s Sky
• Overwatch
• Rainbow Six Siege

Best Game Direction

• Hazelight/EA for A Way Out
• Quantic Dream/Sony for Detroit: Become Human
• Sony Santa Monica/Sony for God Of War
• Insomniac Games/Sony for Marvel’s Spider-Man
• Rockstar Games for Red Dead Redemption II

Best Narrative

• Detroit: Become Human
• God Of War
• Life Is Strange 2: Episode 1
• Marvel’s Spider-Man
• Red Dead Redemption II

Best Art Direction

• Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
• God Of War
• Octopath Traveller
• Red Dead Redemption II
• Return Of The Obra Dinn

Best Score/Music

• Celeste
• God Of War
• Marvel’s Spider-Man
• Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom
• Octopath Traveller
• Red Dead Redemption II

Best Audio Design

• Call Of Duty: Black Ops 4
• Forza Horizon 4
• God Of War
•  Marvel’s Spider-Man
• Red Dead Redemption II

Best Performance

• Bryan Dechart as Connor, Detroit: Become Human
• Christopher Judge as Kratos, God of War
• Melissanthi Mahut as Kassandra, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
• Roger Clark as Arthur Morgan, Red Dead Redemption II
• Yuri Lowenthal as Peter Parker, Spider-Man

Games For Impact

• 11-11 Memories Retold
• Celeste
• Florence
• Life is Strange 2: Episode 1
• The Missing: JJ Macfield and the Island of Memories

Best Independent Game

• Celeste
• Dead Cells
• Into the Breach
• Return of the Obra Dinn
• The Messenger

Best Mobile Game

• Donut County
• Florence
• Fortnite
• PUBG Mobile
• Reigns: Game of Thrones

Best VR/AR Game

• Astro Bot Rescue Mission
• Beat Saber
• Firewall Zero Hour
• Moss
• Tetris Effect

Best Action Game

• Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
• Dead Cells
• Destiny 2: Forsaken
• Far Cry 5
• Mega Man 11

Best Action/Adventure Game

• Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
• God of War
• Spider-Man
• Red Dead Redemption 2
• Shadow of the Tomb Raider

Best Role Playing Game

• Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age
• Monster Hunter: World
• Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom
• Octopath Traveler
• Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire

Best Fighting Game

• BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle
• Dragon Ball FighterZ
• Soul Calibur VI
• Street Fighter V Arcade Edition

Best Family Game

• Mario Tennis Aces
• Nintendo Labo
• Overcooked 2
• Starlink: Battle for Atlas
• Super Mario Party

Best Strategy Game

• The Banner Saga 3
• Battletech
• Frostpunk
• Into the Breach
• Valkyria Chronicles 4

Best Sports/Racing Game

• FIFA 19
• Forza Horizon 4
• Mario Tennis Aces
• NBA 2K19
• Pro Evolution Soccer 2019

Best Multiplayer Game

• Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
• Destiny 2: Forsaken
• Fortnite
• Monster Hunter: World
• Sea of Thieves

Best Student Game – Awarded the best student project created at the high school or college level.

• Combat 2018 (Tankarok)
• Dash Quasar
• JERA
• LIFF
• RE: Charge

Best Debut Indie Game

• Donut County
• Florence
• Moss
• The Messenger
• Yoku’s Island Express

Best Esports Game

• CS:GO
• Dota 2
• Fortnite
• League of Legends
• Overwatch

Best Esports Player

• Dominique “SonicFox” McLean
• Hajime “Tokido” Taniguchi
• Jian “Uzi” Zi-Hao
• Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev
• Sung-hyeon “JJoNak” Bang

Best Esports Team

• Astralis – CS:GO
• Cloud9 – LOL
• Fnatic – LOL
• London Spitfire – OWL
• OG – DOTA2

Best Esports Coach

• Bok “Reapered” Han-gyu – Cloud9
• Cristian “ppasarel” Bănăseanu – OG
• Danny “zonic” Sørensen – Astralis
• Dylan Falco – Fnatic
• Jakob “YamatoCannon” Mebdi – Team Vitality
• Janko “YNk” Paunovic – MiBR

Best Esports Event

• ELEAGUE Major: Boston 2018
• EVO 2018
• League of Legends World Championship
• Overwatch League Grand Finals
• The International 2018

Best Esports Host

• Alex “Goldenboy” Mendez
• Alex “Machine” Richardson
• Anders Blume
• Eefje “Sjokz” Depoortere
• Paul “RedEye” Chaloner

Best Esports Moment

• C9 Comeback Win In Triple OT vs FAZE
• G2 Beating RNG
• KT vs IG Base Race
• OG’s Massive Upset of LGD
• SonicFox Side Switch Against Go1 in DBZ

Content Creator of the Year

• Dr. Lupo
• Myth
• Ninja
• Pokimane
• Willyrex

Industry Icon – Greg Thomas, Visual Concepts

God Of War Being Turned Into A Novel By Cory Barlog’s Father

God of War is easily one of the best games of 2018, with people praising the game's portrayal of a father-son relationship between Kratos and Atreus. Now a novelization of that story isn't anything unexpected, but the choice of J.M. Barlog, God of War director Cory Barlog's father, feels appropriate.

The senior Barlog is a fairly well-known author of young adult fiction, having written a number of fantasy and mystery books in his career. 

"A Chicago native, I served in the Air Force during Vietnam," he writes. "That was when the writing bug took me. I started (with no success) writing short stories about things that interested me. Before long I was expanding into novels and exploring many different facets of life. I came to realize that stories were all around. All I had to do was be observant and let my imagination go where it wanted."

God of War is available now on PlayStation 4.

Really proud of this collaboration with my pops @JMBARLOG . He did some amazing work with the book.❤️🍻 https://t.co/0CpbSBJIwh

— Cory Barlog 🎮 🏳️‍🌈 on Vacation (@corybarlog) July 31, 2018

State Of Decay 2 Tops The NPD Charts For May 2018

1. State of Decay 2
2. God of War 2018
3. Detroit: Become Human
4. Far Cry 5
5. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze*
6. Grand Theft Auto V
7. Hyrule Warriors Definitive Ed*
8. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege
9. Mario Kart 8*
10. 10.NBA 2K18
11. MLB 18: The Show
12. 12.Call of Duty: WWII
13. 13.Super Mario Odyssey*
14. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild*
15. FIFA 18^
16. Overwatch^
17. Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection
18. Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds
19. Assassin’s Creed: Origins
20. Monster Hunter: World

* Digital sales not included
^ PC digital sales not included

God of War Getting New Game+

During Sony's E3 conference, Sony Head of Worldwide studios Shawn Layden, revealed that God of War is getting a New Game+ mode. More information about the specifics of how New Game+ will work will be revealed at a later date on the PlayStation Blog.

UPDATE 8/9/18 -

New Game+ will be available on August 20 as a free patch update. In order to access the mode you'll need to complete the story on any difficulty.

With New Game+ you'll be able to carry over all your progress including abilities, armours, talismans, enchantments, and resources. Players can look forward to battling higher level enemies and more. There will also be a new rarity level of equipment to craft and upgrade, alongside the new "Skap Slag" resource to collect and use to further upgrade your gear.

God of War is also adding the ability to skip through cinematics in normal and New Game+ modes, but you'll have to finish the game to use this feature.

God Of War Sells Over 5 Million Copies

According to Sony's Investor's Relations Day report the newest God of War has sold over five million copies. This makes the game the fastest selling PlayStation 4 exclusive. This also puts the game in the top twenty selling PlayStation 4 titles period.

God Of War Tops NPD Sales Chart For April 2018

1. God of War 2018
2. Far Cry 5
3. MLB 18: The Show
4. Labo Variety Kit
5. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze*
6. Mario Kart 8*
7. Grand Theft Auto V
8. Call of Duty: WWII
9. Super Mario Odyssey*
10. NBA 2K18
11. PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds**
12. Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands
13. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild*
14. Monster Hunter: World
15. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege
16. A Way Out**
17. Yakuza 6: The Song Of Life*
18. Sea Of Thieves
19. Kirby Star Allies*
20. FIFA 18**

*No digital sales included

**No PC digital sales included

SOURCE

God Of War Becomes PlayStation 4's Fastest-Selling Exclusive With 3 Million Copies Sold In 3 Days

Sony has revealed in a blog post that God of War has sold over 3.1 million copies in 3 days, becoming the fastest-selling PS4 exclusive:

"One of PlayStation’s most iconic series is reaching new heights this week. Thanks to all of you, our fans, God of War has become the fastest-selling PS4 exclusive, with more than 3.1 million units sold globally in the first three days (April 20–22).

When we first revealed God of War less than two years ago, we knew we had something truly special. Fans reacted with tremendous excitement to this bold reimagining of the franchise, and we were thrilled to explore the unique father-son dynamic between Kratos and Atreus. Fast-forward to present day with the game’s release, and we are humbled to see such positive reviews."

God Of War Is Getting A Photo Mode

Sony has confirm that a photo mode is on the way for God of War. The mode will offer an assortment of camera and filter options, including logos, borders, and different resolutions, as well as the option to remove characters from the screen as you take photos. Perhaps the most interesting inclusion, however, will be the option to adjust Kratos and Atreus' facial expressions. Kratos is a dour dude, to say the least, but with photo mode, you can add some happiness to his life. No release date for the mode is known at this time.

Tune-in now for an exclusive look at God of War's photo mode, coming after launch in a free update! Watch: https://t.co/6WGSKHicJz #PS4share #GodofWar pic.twitter.com/Dh246ycqGd

— PlayStation #GodofWar (@PlayStation) April 20, 2018

UPDATE 5/9/18 - The photo mode in God of War is now available

God Of War Gets PlayStation 4 Pro Bundle

Sony has announced a new PlayStation 4 bundle with God of War, themed to match the Norse stylings of Kratos' new weapon. The system has a unique design for the controller, including emblazoning the words "God of War" on the Dualshock 4 touchpad. Head of Sony Santa Monica Shannon Studstill explained the reasoning behind the new design:

“When we designed Kratos’ new Leviathan Axe, we knew it would have far more meaning not only to the game, but to our fans. Santa Monica Studio was extremely proud to adorn the custom PS4 Pro with the Leviathan Axe in such detailed fashion. We spent a painstaking amount of time to ensure this PS4 Pro was special, for the special fans who will cherish it. The top surface is the Axe skill tree you’ll use in-game to upgrade your axe, along with the runic gem slots on the handle that enable unique special attacks. The side panels are trimmed with a beautiful Norse design, and the runes each represent a realm in the game. The Leviathan Gray DualShock 4 wireless controller has the Huldra Brothers brand on it (just like the Axe), and a very subtle God of War logo on the touchpad."

The God of War PlayStation 4 Pro is launching alongside the game on April 20.

God Of War Releasing In April

According to the latest trailer, God of War finally has a release date of April 20, 2018. That's not all the information we get from the trailer, though. It gives new insight about what sets Kratos and Atreus off on their journey, and the issues they confront regarding their godly lineage.

PlayStation Themed Figures, Totaku, Features God Of War, Crash Bandicoot And More

A new series of figures based on a variety of PlayStation franchises has been revealed. The Totaku Collection  features incredibly detailed figurines of Kratos from God of War, Crash Bandicoot, Sackboy from LittleBigPlanet, Heihachi from Tekken, Parappa the Rapper, the Hunter from Bloodborne, and the Feisar FX350 ship from Wipeout. Each figure is priced at $10. The Totaku Collection is available exclusively from GameStop.  Think Geek's new line of figures will be released on March 23, 2018. Each figure, which can be displayed multiple ways, stands 10cm tall on a fixed, non-articulated base. Could be this be Sony’s amiibos competitor ?

The New God Of War For PS4 Is Getting A Collectors Edition

GameStop revealed that the new God of War is getting a collectors edition titled Stone Mason Edition. The God of War Stone Mason Edition. The Stone Mason edition includes a physical copy of the game, a steelbook case, and a 9" statue of Kratos and his son Atreus. Also included are several small 2" carvings and a keychain, as well as a lithograph and cloth map. Digital contents include several in-game shields, an armor set, a dynamic PS4 theme, and a digital comic and artbook by Dark Horse Comics. The full special edition costs $149.99 and is currently available to preorder.

God Of War’s Cory Barlog Discusses Length Of Game

During this year's PSX keynote, God of War director Cory Barlog had a quick discussion about the game's progress. Barlog did a break down of how long playtesters were taking to get through the whole game:

“We are in the play testing phase. In fact, we just finished up a playtest. For the last four or five playlists we've been clocking in a total playtime that is somewhere in the arena of 25-35 hours.”