IGN (via SFFGazette.com) is reporting that God of War: Ragnarok spoilers have started finding their way online ahead of the highly anticipated game's release next month. The site has confirmed that the screenshots are legitimate, though the source is definitely unexpected.
They appear to have come from someone (we won't name and shame them) who was given an early review code for the game. It looks like their PlayStation account is set up to automatically post screenshots as they play, resulting in big moments from the next God of War instalment being revealed long before they should be. Now, they're spreading like wildfire.
We can't imagine Sony is remotely happy about this, though it's a lot different to leaks where footage and images have been shared early maliciously (as was the case with The Last of Us Part 2, for example).
The screenshots first started showing on Twitter Sunday, October 23, and Sony has yet to comment. Unfortunately, it's commonplace for some people to take images like these and deliberately spoil games for other people with bots or by searching for hashtags, so we'd suggest being very careful on social media until God of War: Ragnarok is released.
"Set out on an epic and unflinching journey as Kratos and Atreus struggle with holding on and letting go," reads the synopsis. "Witness the changing dynamic of their relationship as they prepare for war; Atreus hungers for knowledge to help him grasp the prophecy of 'Loki,' as Kratos struggles to free himself from the past and be the father his son needs."
"All the while," it concludes, "the eyes of Asgard watch their every move..."
Earlier this year, it was revealed that Amazon Prime Video is in talks with Sony to develop a live-action God of War TV series, so this franchise's future is looking very bright indeed. The Expanse creators Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby are producing the show alongside The Wheel of Time showrunner Rafe Judkins, so we're hoping for more news on the project in the not-too-distant future.
God of War: Ragnarok will be released on the Playstation 5 and Playstation 4 on November 9.