Today’s State of Play entirely centered on games coming within the next four months, and there was disappointment from some that God of War Ragnarok (not it’s official title yet, mind you, that’s just what everyone has taken to calling it) didn’t show up at all. The sequel to 2018’s God of War isn’t expected until 2022 at the earliest, and details have been scant. The last time we saw anything about the game was back in September 2020 when it was first announced. Even then, there wasn’t much to go on besides confirmation that it’s in the works and a logo. To reassure fans who have been eagerly waiting for news on the next game in the series, Director Cory Barlog took to Twitter. While he didn’t name God of War specifically, his tweet was an obvious response to people asking when the game is coming.
I don’t know who needs to hear this…
(certainly not me since I have never heard of it)
but…
WHEN. IT’S. DONE.
(trust that it’s what’s best for everyone) pic.twitter.com/DVE6hQ9BVA
— Cory Balrog (@corybarlog) February 25, 2021
“I don’t know who needs to hear this…but…” Barlog wrote in the tweet. “WHEN. IT’S. DONE.” Without naming God of War outright, his tweet seems to be an obvious response to people asking when the next God of War, commonly referred to as God of War Ragnarok, is coming out. “Trust that it’s what’s best for everyone,” he added.
Game development is already difficult without the added pressure that working remotely due to the pandemic has placed on development teams. While the original announcement suggested a 2021 release for the next God of War, it seems like that date has unofficially shifted to next year at the earliest. PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan recently said in an interview that Sony releases games “when it’s right,” throwing shade at the botched launch of Cyberpunk 2077, which was clearly not ready to be in the public’s hands.
Barlog’s tweet seems to echo this sentiment, that the next God of War will release when it’s done and not a moment sooner, though to be entirely fair, his tweet really could (and should) apply to any number of projects. Recent years have seen both huge delays to make sure things are done right and games releasing before they are ready. For more insight into God of War 2018’s emotional development process, we’d highly recommend watching Raising Kratos, a documentary that followed the reinvention of Kratos and the emotional journey of the development team who brought that game to life. Raising the bar for the sequel is no easy feat, and Barlog and the team at Sony Santa Monica aren’t about to rush it.
