Santa Monica Studio’s Upcoming Game May Differ Greatly from God of War

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So, guess what? Santa Monica Studio just dropped a job posting, and it’s stirring up the rumor mill big time. Apparently, they’re looking for folks with skills in “martial arts, acting, or dance.” Yeah, I know, right? Makes you wonder what they’re cooking up next, especially if you’re expecting another God of War-esque game.

Santa Monica Studio has been chained to the God of War series for, like, 20 years or something. They’ve churned out game after game, reinventing themselves with that epic reboot in 2018. Then they wrapped up the Norse saga with Ragnarok in 2022 and threw in some more Kratos action with the Valhalla DLC the next year. So naturally, fans are on the edge of their seats, wondering what’s next.

Anyway—or maybe I should say, back to what I was thinking—the job listing is causing a stir because it’s for a “Cinematic Artist.” And looking at what they want, it feels like they might be aiming for some sort of new IP that’s all stylish with artsy combat and movements. Different vibes from God of War’s tough and gritty mythological stuff. This could be a breath of fresh air, I guess? I mean, who knows what they’re up to.

Can I just say that the phrase “martial arts, acting, or dance” keeps spinning in my head? I mean, it almost sounds like they want to put on a Broadway show instead of a video game. Or maybe that’s just me going down a rabbit hole of weird imagination.

On another note—side note, actually—it’s not totally weird for a cinematic artist gig to have all these diverse requirements. After all, they create cutscenes, storyboards, camera work, the whole shebang really. So, maybe it’s nothing unusual. But that martial arts thing? Pretty sure they’re planning some fresh combat styles, maybe even spiced up with some flair.

Past job posts from them also dropped hints. We might be looking at a new third-person action game? And get this, they’re possibly eyeing the PlayStation 6 for it, pointing to maybe a 2027 or 2028 release. I know, it feels like forever away. Cory Barlog, the legendary dude behind God of War (2018), is rumored to be leading this. He actually teased it a bit after that 2021 PlayStation Showcase. So, here’s to hoping we get some solid announcements soon. Maybe next year? Fingers crossed!

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