God of War: Ragnarok delayed to 2022

Santa Monica Studio has little faith in moving God of War: Ragnarok out in timely fashion this year. It's been shifted to 2022 release window.

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With the next generation of PlayStation consoles now ready and rolling with the PS5, the question has been on a lot of people’s minds as to when console staples like the next God of War will launch. God of War: Ragnarok was revealed in 2020 and was the hotly anticipated follow-up to the 2018 game, expected sometime this year on PS5. Unfortunately, Santa Monica Studio revealed it is less confident about that release window. God of War: Ragnarok has officially been delayed back to 2022.

The announcement to delay God of War: Ragnarok was made via the Santa Monica Studio Twitter on June 2, 2021. Following teases in 2020 during the PlayStation 5’s advertisement and showcases of games, it was expected that God of War: Ragnarok might find a late release date this year. However, Santa Monica’s messaging shares that the delay seems to be with intention of taking extra time to ensure a “top quality game” but also “maintaining safety and well being” of the development team.

First teased during the PlayStation 5 September 2020 Showcase event late last year, God of War: Ragnarok was tentatively planned for a 2021 release. Even so, we’d heard little detail on the game since, not getting much more than an emblem and title art when it was first shown. It could have been expected that the E3 time period this month would have been the window in which we learned more. After all, we just learned a lot about fellow PlayStation exclusive Horizon Forbidden West. It seems that likely won’t be the case though. Santa Monica Studio wants to keep this bun in the oven for a bit longer.

As one of the most hotly anticipated PS5 titles upcoming, we’ll be on the lookout for further details regarding God of War: Ragnarok as they become available. Fingers crossed, we’ll at least get teases and reveals of what’s new with Kratos and Atreus soon.

Senior News Editor

TJ Denzer is a player and writer with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. He found his way to the Shacknews roster in late 2019 and has worked his way to Senior News Editor since. Between news coverage, he also aides notably in livestream projects like the indie game-focused Indie-licious, the Shacknews Stimulus Games, and the Shacknews Dump. You can reach him at tj.denzer@shacknews.com and also find him on Twitter @JohnnyChugs.

From The Chatty
  • reply
    June 2, 2021 10:19 AM

    TJ Denzer posted a new article, God of War: Ragnarok delayed to 2022

    • reply
      June 2, 2021 10:04 AM

      God Of War: Ragnarok delayed till next year

      https://mobile.twitter.com/SonySantaMonica/status/1400135437763584002

      • reply
        June 2, 2021 10:08 AM

        [deleted]

        • reply
          June 2, 2021 10:10 AM

          Huh GT7 as well. Perhaps that's obvious.

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            June 2, 2021 10:13 AM

            From what I can gather, the PS5 is selling great numbers compared to the PS4 within the same timeframe from release, and it's just not able to meet demand. But the PS4 audience is gigantic. It makes good business sense.

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          June 2, 2021 10:20 AM

          God of War 2 and Gran Turismo 7 are coming to PS4 yes.

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          June 2, 2021 1:46 PM

          “We believe in generations” lmao

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            June 2, 2021 1:47 PM

            Nvmd someone else made a crack about that below

      • reply
        June 2, 2021 10:13 AM

        Oops I posted another thread feel free to nuke

        http://www.shacknews.com/chatty?id=40649371

      • reply
        June 2, 2021 10:17 AM

        Expected, but still....

      • reply
        June 2, 2021 10:18 AM

        N0. Feek. N0!!!

      • reply
        June 2, 2021 10:22 AM

        Also it’s is a ps4/5 game so …huh

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          June 2, 2021 10:40 AM

          we believe in generations

          http://chattypics.com/files/shackbrowseUpload_07dv7b6en8.gif

        • reply
          June 2, 2021 1:07 PM

          Good, because I still won't have a PS5 by next year, so at least I'll be able to play it at release.

        • reply
          June 2, 2021 1:07 PM

          "We believe in generations" but also "we believe in selling to 110 million existing users"

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            June 2, 2021 2:55 PM

            Interesting tidbit, based on UK sales data from the investor report last week: Miles Morales, which is available in a PS4 version, actually went back up to #1 in the sales charts, when a new batch of PS5s became available in April.

            Indicates that there is a certain segment of the population that is waiting to buy the game when they have a PS5, even if they already have a PS4.

            What this means for Sony’s software/hardware sales expectations vs whatever additional cost to downscale for PS4 is anyone’s guess. The variables in their metrics must be much more complex than we average internet chitchatters can think up on the fly. ;)

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              June 2, 2021 3:00 PM

              Certainly, but any PS4 sale is a PS4 sale. :)

              The conservative and correct thing to do with successful platforms is to depreciate them over time rather than kill them outright. Even the Nintendo 3DS had a solid two years of new releases despite the Switch being such an insane success.

              Nobody has a crystal ball. :) Given that the PS4 is one of the best selling consoles of all time it makes sense to aim at that market rather than cut them off completely, at least until the userbase has had some time to mature.

              • reply
                June 2, 2021 3:20 PM

                People seem so hot under the collar about it, though, particularly from various slants on how it will undermine the PS5 version of the game technically or commercially. I don’t think a PS4 version will do either.

                Horizon and GoW both being straightforward 3rd person narrative action games really don’t need to do anything beyond bring prettier graphics and enhanced audio on next-gen to satisfy players. I personally hope to see radically different gameplay design choices for actual new IP, that require the unique new tech.
                Herman Hulst gave a shoutout to Bend’s new IP in this regard in the same talk. Pragmata, Capcom’s PS5 exclusive looks like it’s gearing up for another public showing too. Even the mysterious Abandoned is getting its own app so people can view their presentations in real-time. That alone is pretty nuts. I think we’ll definitely be seeing a mix of high quality cross-gen and PS5 only in ‘22.

      • reply
        June 2, 2021 10:33 AM

        Wasn't expecting it this year anyway

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        June 2, 2021 10:42 AM

        You mean Sony just showed a logo and people REALLY thought it was going to come out this year?

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          June 2, 2021 10:48 AM

          yeah that's my take as well

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          June 2, 2021 1:05 PM

          Internally they also thought it was coming out this year, at least they did a couple months ago.

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            June 2, 2021 1:08 PM

            And they thought it was a PS5 only game as well until today? This game was never coming out this year.

            It will be amazing when it comes out I'm sure but it was the dumbest thing ever when they announced it with just a logo.

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              June 2, 2021 1:09 PM

              I'm just relaying what people who worked on this game and the prior one told me way back in February

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                June 2, 2021 1:13 PM

                Then I expect they were telling you the official line, no way Sony release one of their AAA games in less then 6 months without even showing a screenshot.

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                  June 2, 2021 1:16 PM

                  These are nose to the grindstone types, not marketing/PR people and not public facing leads.

                  You get very different stories depending on who you talk to and this is someone who would be as cynical about announced dates or timelines as anyone would be.

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                  June 2, 2021 2:42 PM

                  It could be a hardware supply issue and not a production delay, as another possibility.

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                    June 2, 2021 2:56 PM

                    Hardware supply issue for what, the PS5?

                    If so then I think that's less of a factor (they're selling PS5 hardware much faster than they did the PS4 in the same launch period) than the fact that there are nearly 120 million PS4 consoles out there and that is way too important an addressable market to ignore.

                    I think that the real heavy hitter exclusives won't hit until 2023, similar to how the big eighth generation games that broke off from seventh gen hardware didn't really start coming out until 2016.

                    Cross-gen releases between 360/PS3 and PS4/XB1 happened for years, and it made sense because there were over 160M total 7th gen Sony/MS consoles that they could hit. The important difference today is that you actually get to keep your purchases when you upgrade from a PS4 to a PS5 instead of having this clean break from the 360/PS3 to the XB1/PS4.

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                      June 2, 2021 2:59 PM

                      Oh you understand all this. I’m just trying to point it out to yoshimi, who seems to be focused on the game itself being delayed, contradicting what you’ve already heard from your friends.

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                        June 2, 2021 3:01 PM

                        Ah, my bad!

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                        June 2, 2021 3:03 PM

                        Name another Sony AAA game they released in under 6 months without showing even a screenshot. I'm quite willing to say I'm wrong but it's not in Sony's normal MO to do that is it?

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                          June 2, 2021 3:24 PM

                          I fall into the camp of believing that the GoW reveal was such a tight tease so Sony could keep its marketing options open, not because the game’s production was delayed.

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          June 2, 2021 1:08 PM

          Bro the statement said they shifted their own release date into 2022, they always were targetting 2021, not interneters.

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          June 2, 2021 1:14 PM

          Feek maybe?

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        June 2, 2021 11:27 AM

        :(

        Hopefully we still get Horizon, my PS5 hasn't been used in a while

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          June 2, 2021 12:48 PM

          Get returnal it’s GOTY

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          June 2, 2021 3:17 PM

          Been playing PS4 games on my PS5 mostly.

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            June 2, 2021 3:17 PM

            I did all that already :/

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              June 2, 2021 3:28 PM

              Ratchet & Clank looks great, and that’s coming from someone who never was big into colorful mascot action platformers. What’s your interest level with that one?

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                June 2, 2021 4:41 PM

                Not my thing either. It's ok I have PC games to play, just going to wait for Horizon

      • gmd legacy 10 years legacy 20 years mercury mega
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        June 2, 2021 11:31 AM

        Right when you’ll be able to buy a ps5

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          June 2, 2021 12:49 PM

          I’m sure that was part of the decision. :/

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        June 2, 2021 1:32 PM

        I will add though whatever the reasoning of if/when it was going to come out, not rushing it out is still the best thing for gamers.

      • reply
        June 2, 2021 3:12 PM

        [deleted]

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