Despite rumors to the contrary, God of War Ragnarök has not been delayed until 2023.
Industry insider Tom Henderson confirmed the news in an article on Exputer, revealing that only the announcement was delayed, not the game itself. According to Henderson, something behind the scenes occurred to delay what would have been a PlayStation blog post revealing the release date and details of a pair of Collectors Editions. The blog reportedly would have also contained assurances that the game is still doing well in development and a tease about gameplay footage in the future.
Previously, reporter Jason Schreier revealed an estimated November release window for God of War, stating some form of official announcement was set for the end of the month. This was further supported by the infamous leaker The Snitch, who posted a mysterious gif of Kratos earlier in the month, suggesting the announcement was set for June 30. On June 29, God of War director Cory Barlog asked fans to be patient about news, signaling the likely cancelation of the planned reveal.
"Dear all," the message began. "If it were up to me I would share all the information when I know about it. But it is not up to me. So please, be patient. I promise things will be shared at the earliest possible moment they can be. We make games for you. We get to make games because of you."
Barlog previously teased fans on the game's production status, posting a video on the anniversary of God of War to thank fans and promise them their patience would be rewarded. Admitting the team at Santa Monica Studios had not released much information on the upcoming title, Barlog explained, "That's because everybody is heads-down, hard at work. We are perfectionists. Everyone's tightening up the graphics on level three, there is so much going on right now that I just wish that we could share with you, but it's just not ready to be shown."
Response to the announcement delay sparked considerable outraged reactions from fans. Some even crossed the line, sexually harassing God of War Cinematics Producer Estelle Tigani with explicit images in an attempt to make her reveal the release date. Barlog responded hardly to the news, bashing fans for sending "dick pics" to someone and asking fans to treat people in the gaming industry with more respect.
Source: Exputer