Santa Monica Studio creative director Cory Barlog’s next project after God of War: Ragnarok is still going strong, according to Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier. Aside from a few spin-offs, Barlog has worked on every game in the God of War franchise in different capacities, earning multiple awards for his work over the years. Since the launch of God of War: Ragnarok in 2022, however, the California-based studio hasn’t had another release.
In 2019, Cory Barlog hinted at his new project by updating his Twitter bio with a cryptic message, sparking speculation. However, it wasn’t until October 2022 that he confirmed that he was indeed working on something, though he didn’t specify what it was. A year later, some fans managed to spot that a senior staff programmer listed an unannounced IP as his core focus at the studio, with “World Progression Team Lead” as his job responsibility. The final piece of the puzzle fell into place when Santa Monica’s Alanah Pearce accidentally let slip that she was working on a sci-fi franchise. Taken together, fans concluded that Barlog was working on a new sci-fi title of some kind at Santa Monica Studio. Since then, however, no official news, announcements, or teaser trailers have dropped for this mysterious new IP, leading many to wonder if it is even in development anymore.
Some recent evidence suggests Santa Monica Studio’s long-rumored new IP could feature a completely different tone compared to the God of War games.
In response to a user asking for any updates about Barlog’s project in a forum post on ResetEra, Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier responded affirmatively, commenting, “Cory Barlog’s game is SSM’s next big thing. Last time I spoke to anyone about it (a month or two ago), it was going well.” All signs point to this game being the unannounced sci-fi title from Santa Monica teased earlier on, but since there has been no confirmation from official sources either way, it’s impossible to say with certainty at this time.
Cory Barlog’s Unannounced Project Is Still Going Strong
Considering that Eric Williams has taken over the responsibilities of leading the God of War franchise since Ragnarok, it wouldn’t make sense to call a mainline title involving Kratos and Atreus “Cory Barlog’s game.” Barlog has also previously mentioned that the studio is working on a “bunch of stuff,” meaning there isn’t even a guarantee that this is indeed the sci-fi RPG many seem to think it is. Regardless, fans of the famous creative director will be glad to hear that the project, whatever it is, is still alive and well, especially because the most recent round of layoffs that rocked the industry sunk multiple in-development games in the process.
Players hoping for more of Kratos may not have to wait long. A 2.5D God of War Metroidvania spin-off title set in Greece, similar in concept to Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, appears to be in development, and is rumored to release sometime in 2026. As for the next mainline game for the franchise, since it has only been three years since Ragnarok, even the most optimistic estimates put it a few years away at the earliest.
