Key conclusions
- A new job posting from Santa Monica Studio suggests the developer is working on a “narrative action game” aimed at “next-gen platforms.”
- The wording clearly hints that the project is a PS6 game, meaning it could launch after 2027/2028.
- Other details in the job posting point to a narrative action game that has a photorealistic art style and similarities to other AAA projects from PlayStation Studios.
Some recently discovered evidence suggests this God of war developer Santa Monica Studio is working on an ambitious narrative action game, possibly for the PlayStation 6. Not much is known about the award-winning developer's plans since release God of War Ragnarok in 2022, but a closer look could indicate that a “next-gen” project is underway at the Santa Monica studio.
While God of War Ragnarok was a smash hit in every way for Sony and Santa Monica Studio, the game's ending has sparked a lot of speculation about what the studio may have allowed God of war franchise to rest for a while. Not only did God of War Ragnarok it's decent to limit norse saga but free to play Valhalla The DLC also justified the departure of Kratos, the iconic character of the series. It remains to be seen what the next highway will be God of war what the game will look like and when it will be released, but for now there are other Santa Monica Studio projects 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 working on a game aimed at Sony's next-gen PS6 console. The ad is looking for a Senior External Development Environment Artist for a “next generation narrative action game”. While this could be dismissed as hyperbole in isolation, the duties section further confirms that this project will indeed be targeting “next-generation platforms.”
Santa Monica's Narrative Combat project could be PS6 game of the year
These clear mentions of “next-gen” mean that this project is currently in the early stages of production and won't be ready until 2027/2028, which is the rumored release window for the PS6. Given that the wording also differs from previous Santa Monica Studio jobs hinting at an unannounced action role-playing game, it seems plausible that this narrative action game is a standalone project that's a long time from seeing the light of day. AAA games take five to seven years to develop, so this could be a one-year PS6 game.
Interestingly, the job posting also mentions that experience “working on AAA projects similar to PlayStation Studios games” is preferred, so Santa Monica's mystery narrative action game doesn't seem to be straying too far from the studio's established format . It is not yet determined whether this is new God of war game or potentially another new IP, but speculation points to the former due to its massive popularity God of war 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 starting to trickle in, but it seems that PlayStation Studios has been working on games aimed at the next-gen console for some time now.
