God of War: Ragnarok's 2021 Release Date Appears Unlikely

God of War: Ragnarok was announced at the PlayStation 5 showcase last September, promising to continue the epic story of Kratos' adventure in the sequel to 2018's hit, God of War. Utilizing the updated features of Sony's brand new next-generation console, the game will push its capabilities to its limits, building on the impressive graphical factors present in its predecessor.

With COVID-19 having affected the gaming world in a number of aspects, many titles have now been delayed past their original release dates. Hogwarts Legacy, Prince of Persia, and Gran Turismo 7 have all received pushback to their publishing in recent weeks, with many studios potentially cautious on an early release following the disastrous launch of Cyberpunk 2077. 

Sony is now beginning to outline their plans for 2021, and fans are eager to hear more surrounding upcoming titles.

Now, an interview with PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan has highlighted a major absence from the lineup...

NO GOD OF WAR FOR 2021?

In an interview with PlayStation President and CEO Jim Ryan, a number of key release dates for PlayStation 5 titles have been reiterated. Notably, no mention of the upcoming God of War: Ragnarok can be seen, casting doubt upon a 2021 release date for Kratos' next adventure. 

Ryan confirms the release date of a number of previously announced titles including MLB The Show 21, the first in the series to be made available on Xbox consoles. The future Horizon game has also been confirmed to launch in the second half of 2021, however, no official date has been revealed as yet. 

The PlayStation CEO said that he hopes "everyone will play on PS5 as soon as possible:"

"I hope everyone will play on PS5 as soon as possible. Regarding game titles, we were able to launch a great group of software at the time of launch. The PS5 soft lineup will be more focused than ever. First, the baseball game " MLB The Show 21 " will be released on April 20, 2021, and the new TPS " Returnal " will be released on April 30, 2021. The latest popular action series " Ratchet & Crank Parallel Trouble" Is scheduled to be released on June 11, 2021. And in the latter half of 2021, " Horizon Forbidden West (tentative name) " will be released."

Ryan also confirms that a lot of effort is being put in to produce PlayStation 5's at “a faster pace”, with more consoles coming to fans within 2021.

Adding fuel to the fire, Bloomberg News video game reporter Jason Schreier on Twitter coyly joked about the unlikely possibility of a God of War release this year:

I've got a nice shiny bridge to sell anyone who thinks God of War is coming out this year

— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) February 23, 2021

 

ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST

The announcement that the E3 Expo is going digital in 2021 seems to have set the tone for the gaming industry this year; the long-lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic starting to become present.

The absence of a God of War: Ragnarok mention throughout the interview with Ryan may come as a concerning one for fans. Many may perceive this as a worrying sign for the development stage of the game. When announced in September, no gameplay for the title was shown. Five months on from that, a further trailer may have been expected.

PlayStation will unlikely suffer too much from the delayed-release within their critically acclaimed franchise, as sequels for the Ratchet & Clank and Horizon series are planned for later on this year. A majority of players would preferably receive a polished masterpiece upon launch rather than an unfinished mess, so Santa Monica Studio will be hesitant to rush the game at any stage.

With high expectations already set for the title, God of War: Ragnarok promises to be an impressive continuation of the Ghost of Sparta's journey.