Santa Monica Studio, the acclaimed developer behind the God of War franchise, is fueling speculation about a new, unannounced project. Recent statements from a key developer provide intriguing hints about the studio's next venture.
Glauco Longhi, a veteran character artist and developer, recently rejoined Santa Monica Studio. His updated LinkedIn profile reveals he's overseeing character development for an "unannounced project," significantly increasing the buzz around a potential new IP. Longhi's past contributions include work on God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarök, where he served as lead character artist. His return and focus on character pipelines suggest a project of significant scale.
The possibility of a new sci-fi title is further supported by Santa Monica Studio's creative director, Cory Barlog's, previous comments about the studio's diverse ongoing projects. Furthermore, the studio's active recruitment of character artists and tools programmers points to an expanding team and significant development progress.
While rumors swirl about a potential sci-fi IP, possibly spearheaded by God of War 3's Stig Asmussen, no official confirmation exists. Sony's past trademark of "Intergalactic The Heretic Prophet" adds fuel to the fire, although details remain scarce. Previous whispers of a cancelled PS4 sci-fi project from the studio also contribute to the ongoing speculation.
The mystery surrounding Santa Monica Studio's next game continues, but the evidence strongly suggests a significant new project is in the works, potentially taking the studio into uncharted sci-fi territory.