Highlights

  • Valhalla DLC for God of War Ragnarok is a top-tier expansion, diving deep into Kratos' emotional journey in a rogue-like format.
  • The possibility of another DLC for Ragnarok is not off the table, hinting at more stories to tell in the Norse realms post-Valhalla.
  • While another DLC may be financially viable and continue the narrative, the series might benefit from a significant shakeup instead.

It was free, unexpected, and essentially shadow-dropped, but the Valhalla DLC for God of War Ragnarok turned out to be one of the best expansions for a PlayStation game in recent memory. Valhalla thoughtfully underscores Kratos' emotional journey, driving home the main themes of the base game while packaging itself in a well-designed and addictive rogue-like format. As great and conclusive as Valhalla is, it might not be God of War Ragnarok's last expansion.

Neither Santa Monica Studios nor Sony have released any official statements about a subsequent Ragnarok DLC, but it's certainly not off the table. Orion Walker, a writer for Santa Monica Studios, suggested that there could be another God of War Ragnarok expansion, tweeting back in December that the credits of Valhalla don't signal the end of the story. While Walker's vague and jocular tweet could simply be referencing the expansion's deep replay value, it wouldn't be unreasonable for Santa Monica to drop another expansion to wrap up Ragnarok and tide players over until the next full entry. But while it might be a sensible decision in some ways, it could also be a misfire.

Given Valhalla 's success, it's not unreasonable to assume that many players would pay full price for another expansion, so such a DLC may be seen as financially viable for Sony.

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The Pros and Cons of Another DLC for God of War Ragnarok

Kratos is alive and well at the end of Valhalla, deciding to accept his past mistakes and push forward as a better, more hopeful god. The ending of the DLC heavily implies that he will accept Freya's offer to effectively replace Tyr as the Norse God of War, which would mean that his work is just beginning; he may have been able to put his violent past behind him, but if he is going to step up as a leader in such war-ravaged realms, then there's much that needs to be done.

Valhalla hints at several ongoing conflicts and residual effects of Ragnarok, with Sigrun detailing the somewhat tenuous status of the realms after the events of the base game. There are a number of questions about God of War's Norse world that remain unanswered in the expansion, and while these might be answered in a sequel, they may be better addressed in a DLC, as the conflicts in question don't seem to be too earth-shattering or worthy of a flagship story.

God of War Can't Bleed Ragnarok's Story Dry

On the other hand, it might be best for the series to stay dormant until it's ready for its next big step. Ragnarok already feels like more of a 'chapter 2' to 2018's God of War—a game that made waves for its bold and fundamental changes to the series' formula and format. Another significant shakeup may be just what God of War needs to not only remain relevant and exciting, but to separate itself from the two-game Norse saga and tee up the next chapter of the franchise. It's not out of the question for this leap to come in the form of DLC, but the truncated, restrictive nature of post-launch expansions makes this seem a bit less likely.

While the two-part story presented in God of War and God of War Ragnarok has been great, it could see diminishing returns if it's stretched beyond Valhalla. Ragnarok leaves many loose ends that need to be tied up, but these story elements might not have enough weight or complexity to carry yet another DLC. Either that, or they will be inflated beyond the scope of an expansion, making them a better fit for a full-fledged sequel.