The story of God of War: Ragnarok is done, with Kratos’ audacious venture into the Norse realm finally ending. With its long-time protagonist, Kratos, no longer the paragon of vengeance and violence he once was and his son, Atreus, still a bit too green to carry the weight of one of Sony’s best-selling franchises on his lonesome, it certainly doesn’t make sense to continue the story, or does it?
Financially, all signs point to Santa Monica Studio circling back to see if it had left any stones unturned for a potential DLC or expansion for God of War Ragnarok.
If you ask the infamous leaker, The Snitch, this certainly seems the case.
The Snitch has recently divulged that an expansion for the God of War Ragnarok is deep into its development, with 60% of its progress already completed. While The Snitch’s track record initially presented him as a credible source, a change in ownership of the Twitter account clouds the reliability of this particular rumor. Nevertheless, recent accurate scoops about Rise of the Ronin and Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater hint at an intimate knowledge of Sony’s internal affairs, lending some credibility to this new piece of information.
But why might Sony consider an expansion for a game already packed with content? The answer may lie in the success of the title. Having sold over 5 million units within a week, an audience eagerly awaits more content from the world of God of War Ragnarok. PlayStation has been no stranger to expanding their first-party titles, with games like Marvel’s Spider-Man, Horizon Forbidden West, and Ghost of Tsushima all receiving their due extensions.
And, while Kratos’ story is over, Atreus, though young, may be worth taking a flier on if only to take advantage of the strength of the God of War brand.
Kratos casts a large shadow over Atreus, both literally and figuratively. An expansion focusing on the demi-god is a big risk. Thankfully, Insomniac Games and Naughty Dog have laid the groundwork for such expansions with Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, respectively.
If timed right, like, let’s say, right around the release of Amazon’s live-action adaptation of God of War, an Atreus-centric story could do well and help push out a couple more million units sold for the franchise.
While it would certainly be amazing to see Santa Monica Studio explore other characters like Freya and Angrboda, doing so would require a complete overhaul of the combat system – a Herculean task for a studio that’s already working on other projects, including what might be the next game in the franchise.
Santa Monica Studio, the developers behind this masterpiece, had previously hinted at no such expansion. But, plans change all the time. Besides, this isn’t the first time studios looked at the numbers its games are pulling and decided to give it another go. Case in point, Square Enix with Final Fantasy 16.
Whether this expansion turns out to be a reality or remains a mere mirage, one thing is certain: the world of God of War Ragnarok has more tales to tell, and its audience is here for the long haul, eagerly anticipating every twist and turn.
As the community huddles in anticipation, perhaps, as The Snitch prefers, the truth will unfurl as an exciting puzzle and keep gamers worldwide on their toes.
For now though, PlayStation fans can look forward to the release of the platform’s next big exclusive, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, on October 20.
