Santa Monica Studio is going all-in on the God of War franchise, that much is clear.
Earlier this year, the acclaimed PlayStation first-party studio shadowdropped God of War: Sons of Sparta, a metroidvania prequel, revealing that it would also be remaking the franchise’s original trilogy.
SIE
In the months since, insiders have come to light claiming that another mainline entry is also in the works, albeit one that simultaneously functions as somewhat of a spin-off.
The game is rumoured to star Faye in the lead role, as opposed to Kratos.
Once again, that intel has come to light alongside additional teases about the potential mythologies the game will explore.
Ghost of Tsushima and Black Myth Wukong Fans Should Be Pleased
As reported by MP1ST, the new spin-off will supposedly centre around Japanese and Chinese mythologies.
This is contrary to other rumours that have suggested the franchise might be heading to Egypt or back to Greece,
“At the very least, we here at MP1st can confirm that East-Asian mythologies will be part of it, as we’ve heard that elements from Chinese and Japanese mythologies will be part of a new entry in the series,” the report states.
“Having said that, game development is a fickle thing, and as such, things are always subject to change, though we expect those to be present in the final version of the title.”
I’d urge you to approach this tidbit with a hefty pinch of salt until the game is officially unveiled by Santa Monica which, by all accounts, is expected to happen this year.
One thing that various sources have said in recent months is that the spin-off supposedly feels like a new IP even if it isn’t, suggesting a slight shift in tone, genre, or the general formula.
I suppose translating the setting to East Asia could achieve this, with there being more of a graceful fluidity to the action rather than Kratos’ typical hack n’ slash approach.
It seems, on paper, quite unexpected that Santa Monica would shift away from focusing on Kratos but this was seemingly the plan all along.
Very little is known about Faye and her backstory, but Santa Monica’s head honcho Cory Barlog made it clear years ago that it was a story he wanted to eventually tell.
You don’t cast someone as brilliant and beloved as Deborah Ann Woll only to feature Faye in a couple of brief flashbacks.
READ MORE: God of War Live-Action Series Drops First Look, Immediately Slated By Gamers
That decision always felt like one that would pay off in the long run.
With rumours of a State of Play swirling, let’s hope this leaky title is revealed sooner rather than later because it’s shaping up to be one of the industry’s worst-kept secrets.