Santa Monica Studio appears to be developing a new franchise set within the God of War universe, according to rumours circulating since 2021. This week, evidence emerged when a since-deleted LinkedIn post from a former senior writer at the studio stated they had shaped narrative and creative direction for a new God of War franchise. The leak offers the clearest signal yet about where Sony's largest gaming franchise is heading.
The business logic here is straightforward. Large-scale game development has become prohibitively expensive. Building new intellectual property from scratch carries substantial risk. But the God of War universe has already proved its commercial worth, sold millions of copies, and established a dedicated fan base. Rather than gamble on an entirely new property, Sony wants to expand God of War into an MCU-style universe with sequels and spin-offs. It is a pragmatic strategy: leverage existing assets to generate revenue while keeping experimental storytelling within a familiar world.
According to industry insider NateTheHate, the game will be set within the God of War universe and will feature Faye, Kratos' second wife and Atreus' mother, as its protagonist. The gameplay is said to focus more on action than the recent Norse God of War games. This is where the project becomes interesting. Rather than simply extending Kratos' story yet again, Santa Monica is building outward into the universe's supporting cast and exploring different gameplay styles within the same world.
The approach mirrors what worked for Remedy Entertainment with its Control and Alan Wake franchises; both exist in a shared universe yet play entirely differently. It allows creative directors to take risks without abandoning established IP entirely. For Cory Barlog, who directed 2018's God of War but stepped aside for the sequel, it offers an opportunity to shape a new direction while staying within a world he helped build.
From a fiscal perspective, this matters. Development studios face pressure to justify budgets running into hundreds of millions of pounds. Publishers grow nervous about unproven concepts. Yet game audiences expect innovation alongside familiarity. The franchise expansion model provides cover for both. It lets developers experiment with new tones, mythologies, and mechanics under the shelter of a known brand.
There are legitimate concerns about this approach. Overexpanding a franchise risks diluting its identity. If every spin-off feels derivative or rushed, the universe loses its appeal. Studios already stretched thin by multiple concurrent projects may struggle to maintain quality. Santa Monica is simultaneously working on a remake of the original God of War trilogy and a live-action TV adaptation with Amazon Prime Video. Whether the team has sufficient capacity to deliver excellence across all three projects remains an open question.
According to Christopher Judge, the voice of Kratos, Santa Monica Studio plans to reveal the next game this summer. If that timeline holds, an announcement could come at a major showcase event between May and August. The game is currently set for release in the first half of 2027.
Ultimately, the leaked project represents something neither wholly conservative nor recklessly innovative. It is pragmatic franchise management in an era where gaming budgets have spiralled beyond reason. Studios must find ways to justify their spending while audiences grow fatigued by endless sequels to the same story. Building interconnected worlds of parallel stories offers one credible path forward. Whether Santa Monica executes this one with creativity and discipline remains to be seen.