God of War devs tease new sci-fi franchise
Sony Santa Monica could be putting down its Leviathan Axe and heading somewhere new, as the acclaimed studio behind God of War has teased what its next game will be. Sorry to say, it looks like we're leaving Kratos behind...for now.
Since the original God of War stepped out onto the scorched plains of Ancient Greece in 2005, Sony Santa Monica has become synonymous with the Ghost of Sparta. Aside from 2001's Kinetica, the God of War games have been SSM's only one developed internally, but (potentially) not for long.
Is Sony Santa Monica working on a sci-fi game?
Since God of War Ragnarok released in 2022, SSM has gone to ground - but after so much work, we don't blame the devs. While we're unsure what the team is working on next, writer Alanah Pearce teased a potential shift into the sci-fi genre during a conversation with the Play, Watch, Listen podcast.
Video game designer Mike Bithell claimed he's working on an "unspecified sci-fi franchise," which caused Pearce to laugh and simply say, "same." It's unclear whether Pearce was being serious or just having a little fun, but it's enough to get the hype machine rolling that SSM has a mystery sci-fi game bubbling away.
Remember, God of War (2018) Director Cory Barlog said that the team is spread out on various projects, sparking hope of another God of War, as well as whatever else. This isn't the first we've heard about a sci-fi game from SSM. Imgur has artwork supposedly from the studio's cancelled sci-fi game that was axed in 2014.
What's next for God of War?
Click to enlargeObviously, no one is buying that God of War is done. God of War Ragnarok might've closed the book on our trip into Norse mythology, but there were plenty of dangling plot threads left to resolve. If that wasn't enough, Ben Prendergast promised this isn't the last we've seen of Tyr.
Players were disappointed that Ragnarok opted for New Game Plus instead of a DLC, while Game Director Eric Williams downplayed the idea of getting one. Interestingly, the same interview with Kinda Funny Games saw Williams say he'd love to tackle the dormant Castlevania franchise.
A sci-fi game from Sony Santa Monica would undoubtedly be massive, but we'll have to wait and see what's being cooked up in the studio kitchen. In the meantime, at least we've got Starfield to scratch that sci-fi itch.
