Highlights

  • The upcoming God of War: Ragnarok DLC expansion Valhalla pays tribute to the franchise's origins, with promo art referencing the art from God of War 2.
  • Valhalla will feature a new roguelike mode and additional story content, as well as Greek mythology references, adding a welcome throwback to the series' Norse mythology focus since the 2018 reboot.
  • The events and references in Valhalla could potentially set up the next chapter of God of War, leaving open the possibility for Kratos to explore other settings, including a return to Greece.

A piece of promo art for the upcoming God of War: Ragnarok DLC expansion Valhalla cleverly pays tribute to the franchise's origins. An eagle-eyed fan instantly noticed the reference, which ties in with the revelations of old foes appearing in an upcoming game mode that follows a new trend for Sony.

God of War: Ragnarok's new expansion Valhalla was announced at the recent The Game Awards 2023. The free DLC is set for launch on Tuesday, December 12, a move that surprised many fans who weren't really expecting any new content, even though the base game had been out for over a year. Sony promised a new roguelike feature and additional story content that would be emotional and surprising.

Images from God of War Ragnarok's Valhalla DLC
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God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla DLC Release Time

After its surprise announcement at the 2023 Game Awards, franchise fans are keen to learn the release time for the God of War Ragnarok Valhalla DLC.

Redditor Spoona101 noticed the striking visual similarity of Kratos's pose in the art for Valhalla, and realized that it was a direct reference to the art for God of War 2. In the art, the perspective is from behind Kratos, who's facing the grand facade of what seems to be Valhalla looming before him. This recreates the God of War 2 art, which sees the same pose but with the cityscape of ancient Rhodes in front of him.

The tribute to the God of War franchise's Greek origins falls right in line with what Sony has planned for Valhalla. The game's original theme music is returning in some form, and the expansion's addition of a roguelike mode to God of War: Ragnarok will also come with mythological Greek monsters for Kratos and other characters to face, such as a cyclops that was seen in the announcement trailer. There could be more Greek references in store, which would be a welcome throwback as the series has stayed fully in Norse mythology since its reboot in 2018.

While the events and references of Valhalla could just be a way for Sony to keep in touch with the franchise's roots as it pushes forward, it's also possible that it sets up the next God of War chapter. The ending leaves many different possibilities for where the story could go next, and it's not out of the question for Kratos to leave the Norse realms for other settings—he could even go back home to Greece if he wanted.

God of War: Ragnarok didn't win the Game of the Year award at last year's event as it lost to big favorite Elden Ring, but it did manage to bring home six honors, including Best Action/Adventure Game. Its presence in this year's ceremonies was Kratos actor Christopher Judge's presentation of the Best Performance award, which resulted in a slightly controversial speech that poked fun at Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.