A new leak suggests that Santa Monica Studio may already have set the stage for the next God of War game’s story, which we expect to be a PS5 and PS6 title. A determined dataminer, who previously found God of War Ragnarok‘s beginning in the 2018 game‘s PC files, now claims to have found post Ragnarok hidden dialogue that sounds like it’s part of the next game.
Could this be the next God of War PS5, PS6 game’s story? (Potential spoilers)
The leaker in question, Reddit user TheMorse_, has provided screenshots of strings containing the aforementioned dialogue as well as copies of the text files containing all the strings within which the dialogue was found.
Unless this is a very, very elaborate hoax, the leak might be legit. But still, take everything with a grain of salt, and if you’re worried about spoilers, X out now.
From the sound of things, Athena — who seems disappointed with Atreus — might be an antagonist in the next game, and she may initially be disguised as a “robed figure.”
Speaking of Atreus, it does look like he will be the central figure in the upcoming God of War games, which makes sense because continuing with Kratos indefinitely doesn’t seem possible without the series falling off a cliff.
New details regarding the upcoming God of Warremakes announced last week have come to light from an unexpected but trustworthy source.
What are the latest details on the God of War remakes?
While attending Fan Expo in Vancouver, Canada, streamer Fuhpuzy spoke to Christopher Judge, who voices Kratos in the new renditions of God of War from Santa Monica Studio. She asked Judge about the upcoming game, and he surprisingly opened up about a few key details.
According to Judge, he won’t be appearing in the game as the voice role of the younger Kratos will be handled by his original actor, TC Carson, who also appeared at Sony’s State of Play to announce the games. Judge also said that the games will feature a whole lot of “new stuff,” including a “new fighting system” and other content.
Kratos Actor Christopher Judge has seemingly just leaked a bunch of info about the series:
– GoW Remake will have new combat, new systems & content – Only TC Carson is voicing Kratos in the remake – Next Santa Monica game is being announced late summerpic.twitter.com/LltgiEjrgX
As for what Judge might be up to, he did hint that new information about the next God of War game could be coming very soon. He mentioned that fans will be “hearing about what we’re doing probably in the late summer,” which could suggest that Santa Monica Studio will be back with another announcement during the yearly summer conference cycle.
The God of War remakes will be comprised of the first three God of War games that released in the 2000s and followed Kratos’ life as a Spartan-turned-God-of-war as he vows to get revenge against the Greek gods.
When Mega Cat Studios sat down to dream big, one name sat at the very top of their wishlist: God of War. Years later, that long-shot ambition has become God of War Sons of Sparta, a newly released prequel developed in collaboration with Santa Monica Studio (SMS). Set at the earliest point in the series timeline, the game casts players as a young, devout Kratos before he knows his true nature as a demi-god, weaving a story about brotherhood and the meaning of being Spartan. Sons of Sparta pairs retro action-adventure design with an emotional God of War story.
PlayStation Blog: What can you share about the origins of this collaboration with Santa Monica Studio?
James Deighan: So one of the things we’ve always done at Mega Cat are these leadership retreats where we talk about what we want to do… what we want to be known for… what inspired us to join the games industry. And one of the things that we’ve maintained, kind of ceremonially, is this “wishlist” of franchises we wish we could collaborate on. And we’ve had God of War listed as number one since the very beginning. And part of that wishlist is also the probability of us being able to do that, which we’ve always had listed very low. And as we continued to grow and make bigger, better games, and got a lot more confidence we started taking bigger swings, and eventually we just made a pitch and reached out and got really lucky that somebody read it, and they were open to having a conversation about what our idea was for a prequel and some kind of pixel art treatment extension of the franchise that we all adore.
…so it really is just on multiple layers, a dream come true, working with such a talented team [at Santa Monica Studio], with a franchise we adore.
How is Kratos’ relationship with the Greek gods at this point in his life?
Zack Manko: This is Kratos as a boy. So it’s pre-god powers. He doesn’t even know he’s a god. But that also means he has a very different relationship with the gods. He’s very devout. He has this faith that he leans on and turns to when things look darkest. And in Sons of Sparta, you see how that pays off. You get Gifts of Olympus, these artifacts blessed by the gods, that allow you to do all these crazy puzzles, exploration, and combat. Ultimately, seeing Kratos as this devout, faith-filled figure, and knowing what comes later with his relationship with the gods…adds a new dimension as well.
What went into the decision to set the game at the earliest point in the series’ timeline?
Manko: I think there are two reasons, really. First, like you said, it’s a prequel. Our initial pitch was, you know, imagine what God of War would have looked like on [the original PlayStation], you know, what a God of War zero, if you will, would look like. So I think with that in mind the narrative team at SMS thought this time period you know, Kratos as a boy, his formative years, would be interesting to explore, because the events here and what he goes through and what he experiences, it really adds a texture to his character that kind of you can see throughout the rest of the saga. It certainly adds a new lens onto him [when looking back at the Greek games].
Early on, we did think about maybe [making the story] a little bit closer to the events of the Greek saga games that fans are familiar with. But again, I think the writers at SMS thought this is what we need to go to, because seeing Kratos as a boy here resonates throughout the rest of the series, not only with the Greek games, but also, you know, the Norse saga, where you see Kratos as a father with Atreus, and how the events in Sons of Sparta may influence that. And the same sort of, same sort of context, the influences on Kratos as a boy, how that lines up with Kratos’ parenting style in the Norse saga. These formative years of Kratos, this character, seeing all these things that happen and these influences on him. It just adds so much to this character that fans are familiar with throughout the rest of the games.
Meet Mega Cat, the feline the God of War: Sons of Sparta studio is named after.
What can you tell us about the origins of the game’s title and name of the studio itself?
Manko: James wanted to name it something Greek yogurt themed, you know, high protein, fitting for Kratos [laughs]. But, um, no, in all seriousness, God of War Sons of Sparta was chosen because it just encapsulates the main themes in the game so well. You know, Kratos and Deimos are the sons of Sparta, and they’re discovering what that means. What it means to be a Spartan, what are the demands there, what’s the cost?
Deighan: [Regarding the studio name Mega Cat Studios] we had a beloved cat that I had as a pet that passed. One of our [team members’ now-wife] volunteers at a local animal shelter here, and she was serving a few bottle babies. [Bottle babies] are whenever the shelters are completely overburdened with animals, the trained [certified] volunteers can take [cats] home and help raise them. I was dealing with some pet-loss heartbreak, as you do, and [the shelter had] this one, really aggressive runt in the litter that we ended up taking home and bottle feeding and spending some time with. That was Mega Cat.
So when we first came up with a list of many ideas and names for the company, we included [“Mega Cat”] on the list and started voting and sharing it around with our friends, family, and colleagues. And there was this really overwhelmingly positive response [to the name]… which kind of rolls off the tongue. Early years, it really worked to our advantage, because people confused us with Mad Catz [laughs].
We had all these names that we really went deep on, and we added a Mega Cat at the end of the list. Even our UPS driver was like, “that one’s awesome, man.”
Developed by our partners at Mega Cat Studios, Sons of Sparta takes God of War staples and translates them like never before into a retro-inspired 2D action platformer.
Looking to learn more before embarking on a journey back to ancient Greece this weekend? Here’s what you need to know about God of War Sons of Sparta!
Duty, honor & brotherhood
Sons of Sparta is a canon story that takes place in Kratos’ youth from the writing team that brought you God of War (2018), God of War Ragnarök, and God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla.
Set during the brutal training period Spartan cadets undergo at the Agoge – Kratos, alongside his brother Deimos, must traverse far beyond the home they know into the beautiful yet dangerous region of Laconia that surrounds the familiar walls of Sparta.
Kratos and Deimos must overcome threats that will put all their training to the test while challenging them to confront the true meaning of duty, honor, and brotherhood.
Heartfelt performances
Sons of Sparta features a fantastic vocal cast whose performances bring the depth and emotion fans expect from God of War games.
We’re thrilled to have two actors who have both portrayed Kratos in the Greek saga reprise their roles for this game. TC Carson returns as the adult version of Kratos who serves as our story’s narrator, while Antony Del Rio portrays the younger version of Kratos, which he also did in God of War: Ghost of Sparta back in 2010!
We’re also excited to have newcomers join the series, including Scott Menville, as the voice of our young Deimos.
God of War combat in 2D
Sons of Sparta brings God of War’s kinetic combat to a brand-new genre. Customize your weapons, learn new skills, and harness powerful divine artifacts using the Gifts of Olympus to end your foes with brutal finishers.
A Spartan’s first weapons
Kratos’ spear and shield can each be enhanced and adapted using different attachments. Each attachment comes with its own upgrade path, so you can tailor your build to empower whichever playstyle you enjoy.
Kratos also has access to three primary skill trees where he can learn new abilities to improve his offensive, defensive, and movement kits.
Gifts of Olympus
Throughout his adventures in Laconia, Kratos will acquire Gifts of Olympus, divine artifacts that can turn the tide in combat through their special and super attacks.
Some of the Gifts excel in ranged combat – striking with precision from afar or launching an exploding projectile to hit multiple creatures. Others come with their own devastating melee combo to supplement Kratos’ spear attacks.
Myths and legends
Sons of Sparta features the return of many iconic creatures from the Greek saga, including hulking minotaurs, nimble satyrs, and undead legionnaires. We worked closely with the team at Mega Cat Studios to faithfully translate the original animations to their 2D representations in-game.
On top of the classics, MCS has also brought in many new creatures from Greek mythology didn’t have the chance to explore in the originals.
Explore Laconia
Stunning high-definition pixel art environments will take you on a journey through a variety of locations that bring Kratos’ homeland to life with incredible detail.
As you progress through the main story, you’ll find that Laconia is also full of content that rewards exploration – optional quests, hidden encounters, and loot await!
The sound of Sparta
Bear McCreary returns to score Sons of Sparta with an incredible soundtrack that melds retro aesthetics with God of War’s signature sweeping orchestral and choral style.
Get it today
The Standard and Digital Deluxe Editions are both available for purchase digitally at PlayStation Store:
Standard Editionof God of War Sons of Sparta is $29.99 USD / €29.99 / £24.99 / ¥3480
Digital Deluxe Edition of God of War Sons of Sparta is $39.99 USD / €39.99 / £32.99 / ¥4480
Thank you to all the God of War fans for your continued support, we hope you’ll enjoy Sons of Sparta!
