Sony is clearly far from finished with the God of War franchise, with several projects currently in the works, ranging from a TV show for Prime Video to a heavily rumored 2D metroidvania that would return to Greece, drawing inspiration from games like Blasphemous. Despite this robust slate, some fans may know that another project from the saga was scrapped not too long ago.
A report at the start of the year mentioned PlayStation was cutting two live-service projects from its first-party studios. These were an unannounced game from Bend Studio (of which we revealed an early look last year) and a multiplayer God of War game that was being developed by Bluepoint Games.
This cancellation caught many by surprise, with details sparse beyond the fact that it was supposed to be a multiplayer game set in the God of War universe. Thankfully, we recently gained access to development screenshots that offer a detailed look at the game’s planned setting.
First look at Bluepoint’s God of War Multiplayer Game
The screenshots from the project that were shared with us offer a good glance at an early stage of development, showing some assets and environments that were being worked on for the title.
The first noticeable detail that we can get by looking at the gallery is that the game was clearly planned to return to a Greek setting. This is evidenced by the presence of Greek temples, classic artifacts such as pottery, and other details we will discuss later.
In addition to the temple exteriors, we can see other environments, such as caverns and interiors, that appear to have been designed to accommodate multiple players, such as an armory stocked with weapons and shields.
Another interesting detail for those familiar with the lore is the apparent inclusion of the god Hades, at least in name. We were told that Hades would have been the owner of the armory, as well as the yellow sulfur pools visible in the caverns. So if the game was meant to fit into the established canon at all, the involvement of a living Hades suggests a timeline prior to the events of God of War III. That’s if this game was meant to be canon in any way; otherwise, it could have been an anything-goes kind of thing, not connected to the main God of War continuity beyond name.
Another interesting thing to note is the clear Greek-inspired architecture evident in the buildings. But some environments look like they were plucked from God of War 2018 and Ragnarok. There appears to be a female statue holding a mask, which reminded us of the statues in the original God of War games, though we aren’t sure whether a god is associated with wearing a mask. Then there’s what appears to be statues of possibly soldiers, holding a shield and spear, something that would associate with Spartans. But their appearance also comes off as that of the Einherjar, the Norse warriors who reside in Valhalla in God of War Ragnarok. You can also see several weapons on display that have a hint of green, which reminds us a little of the weapons the Beserkers and other enemies used in 2018 and Ragnarok.
Also, considering that the size of the previously mentioned pools is shown in a comparison with a player mockup, we can only speculate on whether they would have had a specific function in terms of gameplay.
Returning to Hades’ Armory, we notice that one picture shows the place looking different, as a red corrosion seems to have taken over the area. This state is described as a “curse” on the armory, suggesting it could have inflicted a negative status effect on players inside.
In the end, though, PlayStation lacked confidence in the game’s long-term viability. This move is understandable considering the poor reception most live-service proposals receive from PS fans, especially given the fairly recent example of Concord.
Now, it is reported that Bluepoint has started work on another project, a third-person melee action game, according to job listings. The possibilities for the subject of their next project are wide, but the most hopeful Bluepoint fans are proposing a remake of the original God of War, a project many GoW enthusiasts have been requesting for years.
Given Bluepoint’s history of excellent remakes, such as Shadow of the Colossus and Demon’s Souls, this would be a highly promising project. Furthermore, since we now know the studio was already working within a Greek setting, they could potentially take advantage of the work and assets already developed and transition them into a full God of War remake.
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