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- A new Santa Monica Studio leak suggests the developer is working on a “narrative fighting game” aimed at “next-gen platforms.”
- The wording clearly suggests that the project is a PS6 game, meaning it could be released after 2027/2028.
- Other details in the job announcement point to the narrative fighting game featuring a photorealistic art style and similarities to other AAA projects from PlayStation Studios.
Some recently emerging evidence suggests that God of War developer Studio Santa Monica is working on an ambitious narrative fighting game, possibly for the PlayStation 6. Not much is known about the award-winning developer's plans since launch. God of War Ragnarok in 2022, but in-depth research may point to a “next-gen” project underway at Santa Monica Studio.
Although God of War Ragnarok was a huge success by all accounts for Sony and Santa Monica Studio, the game's ending has sparked much speculation that the studio might leave God of War rest in the franchise for some time. Not only that God of War Ragnarok Appropriately completes the Nordic saga, but free-to-play Valhalla The DLC also made a case for retiring Kratos, the series' iconic protagonist. It remains to be seen what the next main line is God of War the game will also show when it comes out, but for now, there are other projects from Santa Monica Studio that fans can look forward to.
It's been known for a while that one of Santa Monica Studio's upcoming projects is a brand new IP, but a recent job listing suggests that the developer may already be creating a game aimed at Sony's next-gen PS6 console. The job posting is looking for a Senior External Development Environment Artist for a “next-gen narrative fighting game.” While this could be dismissed as hyperbole in isolation, the job responsibilities section further confirms that this project will indeed target “next generation platforms.”
Santa Monica's 'Narrative Combat' project could be a year one PS6 game
These clear mentions of “next-gen” imply that this project is currently in the early stages of production and won't be ready until after 2027/2028, which is the rumored launch window for the PS6. Given that the wording is also different from Santa Monica Studio's previous jobs hinting at an unannounced action RPG, it seems plausible that this narrative fighting game will be a separate project that won't see the light of day for a long time. period of time. AAA games take five to seven years to develop, so this could be a one-year PS6 game.
Interestingly, the job ad also mentions that experience “working on AAA projects similar to PlayStation Studios titles” is preferred, so Santa Monica's mystery narrative battle game doesn't seem to stray too far from the established format of the studio. It is not yet determined if this is news God of War game or possibly another new IP, but speculation points to the former due to the sheer popularity of God of War the franchise.
It should also be interesting to see how Santa Monica Studio will use the PS6 hardware for its narrative combat project, especially since the job listing indicates that the game will have a photorealistic art style. Rumors about the PS6 are just beginning to surface among the populace, but it seems that PlayStation's primary studios have been working on games aimed at the next-gen console for some time now.
