Santa Monica Studio Pushes New God Of War Back To 2022

It’s not very often nowadays that people get angry over game delays. Sure, some people are mad about anything. That said, most gamers would rather play a good game than a rushed game. Sony’s Santa Monica Studio is working on the new God of War entry and plans to push the release back to 2022. Originally, the game was slated to release this year. It’s not often that delays surprise us, and this one certainly shocked few. The game, rumored to be titled God of War: Ragnarok, is the follow-up to 2018’s masterpiece on the PS4. Will we wait patiently for the sequel to one of the last generation’s finest games? We sure will, happily.

Santa Monica Studio Shifts New God of War Game to 2022 Release Window

Image Credit: Santa Monica Studio & Sony

In an announcement posted to Twitter, Santa Monica Studio announced the new God of War won’t release until 2022. The move comes after what the studio explains as a focus on a few key elements of game development. Firstly, the announcement names developer wellbeing explicitly. That’s nice to hear, and hopefully, the delay helps the team avoid crunch and overtime. Secondly, the studio is fully aware that the pandemic isn’t necessarily over for everyone. While many adults are vaccinated, children and some who are medically vulnerable are not. With that in mind, the studio also notes that safety is a concern.

The biggest impact, while not mentioned in the statement explicitly, is likely the pandemic’s impact on development. With remote teams and deadlines set back weeks or even months, games aren’t going to release when anticipated back in 2019. Things are just different now. Fans and critics alike, however, hopped over to social media to express support for the decision. God of War is a huge property for Sony. While they might not be working on a God of War movie at Sony Pictures, the game series is poised for another run of titles.

Overall, the delay is one of many we’ll see from studios this year. It hasn’t necessarily meant the year’s new releases suffered much. The sales of AAA titles like Resident Evil Village and the Mass Effect Legendary Edition are already top Game of the Year contenders for many. Sony’s own exclusive, Reternal, is likely to make a run at many end-of-the-year awards shows. As for God of War, it won’t be up for GOTY 2021, but it could easily get some love for “Most Anticipated” at this month’s E3 2021 Awards Show.

Featured Image Credit: Santa Monica Studio and Sony

Taylor is the Gaming Editor of Comic Years and a lifelong fan of video games. He holds two degrees in Political Communication and wrote a Master's Thesis on resistance movements, race, and the exploitation of college athletes. His wife and two Toy Australian Sheppards keep him sane.