Santa Monica Studio shares its guide to hero progression to let you hit the ground running at launch on November 9.
God of War Ragnarök is almost here! Tomorrow on November 9, you will finally be able to step back into the Nine Realms with Kratos and Atreus as they prepare for the coming war.
To ensure you can hit the ground running, we’ve put together a list of our top ten tips to aid hero progression! God of War Ragnarök has a ton of new features and updates to many of the returning ones from God of War (2018), so make sure you check them out below!
All equipment is legendary
For God of War Ragnarök, we’ve ditched our old rarity system when it comes to equipment.
Previously, on God of War (2018), most Armors and Weapon Attachments could only be upgraded a few times, so would inevitably get left behind as you increased your Power Level.
In this title, any equipment that has a Power Level can be upgraded all the way to Level 9! This opens a world of possibilities and combinations, allowing a much higher variety of playstyles at every Power Level.
Transmog unlocks at equipment Level 9
Speaking of Power Level caps, there is a surprise waiting for people diligent enough to upgrade their equipment to Level 9!
The ability to “transmog” equipment was one of the most requested features and we’re happy to share that in God of War Ragnarök we’ll have it!
Once your equipment reaches Level 9, you’ll be able to apply any appearance currently in your inventory. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different pieces because you like the way something looks. Find the perk of your dreams and combine it with the look you want once you reach Level 9!
This feature applies to Kratos’ core Weapons and Armors.
Don’t be afraid to go off the path
The Player Investment Team at Santa Monica Studios is responsible for both Player Progression and Exploration content, so we made sure to put some of the best equipment in our optional areas to reward those of you who take some extra time to poke around!
Don’t be afraid to say “yes” when you hear the call to explore, or you feel like things are getting a little too difficult. Completing Favors and exploring the Nine Realms is a surefire way to stay ahead of the curve.
If you’re the type of player that wants to experience the main story before diving back into the side quests and exploration, don’t worry! Quests never expire and exploration content will always be there waiting for you.
Auto-Equip
If min/maxing stats isn’t really your game, we make things simple for you with Auto-Equip feature.
Simply press L3 from the Weapons or Armor tabs and then choose which stat you want to prioritize. Auto-Equip will automatically equip the highest Power Level items and favor the selected stats if you have multiple pieces at equal level.
Old resources will be on sale in the Shop
A note for all you hoarders out there – old crafting resources can eventually be purchased in the Shop.
Captured on PS5
Most of your equipment will eventually start looking for an alternate resource to upgrade on your road to Level 9. Around the time you start finding those new resources, the old ones will appear in the SPECIAL ITEMS tab under RESOURCES in any shop.
No need to hoard that precious Forged Iron if your main Armor hits a soft cap. Use that as an opportunity to level up something else and try something new. You might just like it!
Pay special attention to the Skill Labors in your Skills Tree
Once you unlock a new Skill, be sure to use it!
If you look closely at the info tab, for many Skills you’ll see a counter that tracks your usage for that Skill.
Keep grinding to level it up to Gold Tier and you’ll unlock a Skill Mod Slot that allows you to apply some customization to your favorites. Add enough Skill Mod Tokens to truly become a force to be reckoned with!
Captured on PS5
XP – it’s not just for Skills
For those who played God of War (2018), you might remember that you could spend XP to upgrade your various Runic Attacks.
That feature returns for God of War Ragnarok, but also expands to include Spartan Rage and Relics.
Captured on PS5
Make sure to navigate to the WEAPONS tab and drill into individual Runic Attacks, Spartan Rage Modes, and Relics to upgrade your favorites. Each one has two additional levels to unlock!
Make sure to visit Niflheim
Hey, Odin’s Ravens are back!
In God of War Ragnarök we took major steps to ensure hunting down the All-Father’s spies is worth the effort, so be sure to visit the Raven Tree in Niflheim at your first opportunity.
You may see some of familiar feathers with the fifty-one ravens that attempted to elude Kratos in God of War (2018) on the branches to mark the location. Under the Raven Tree is where you can collect your rewards for finding the new ravens in God of War Ragnarök through a set of chests. At certain thresholds, a chest will unlock – make sure you check back in periodically to see what you’ve earned!
Who knows, maybe there’s even a little something that happens when you’ve found all forty-eight in God of War Ragnarök!
Also make sure you check out the Training Arena in the same location if you need to brush up on your combos!
The Amulet of Yggdrasil: Enchantments and Attunement Bonuses
You will no longer slot Enchantments into individual pieces of Equipment. Instead, you must find the Amulet of Yggdrasil to slot Enchantments in God of War Ragnarök.
To increase the number of slots available, you will have to locate the Jewels of Yggdrasil. A few you’ll get by playing the main story, but the rest you’ll find by exploring different areas of the realms.
Many Enchantments have an innate realm attunement. You’ll know which ones these are as they have the realm they are attuned to in their name, for example the enchantment Midgard’s Endurance has a realm attunement to, you guessed it, Midgard. If you slot three or more from the same Realm Set, you will unlock Perks that power up with your stats.
All Realm Enchantments provide stat boosts – even if you don’t equip a complete set.
Realm Enchantments are not necessarily found in the realm in which they are attuned, so be sure to keep an eye out!
Armor Set Bonuses
Most Wrist and Waist Armor pieces have Perks that increase in power if you equip both pieces from a matching set. Equip both the Wrist and Waist from a single set for a more powerful perk or opt to mix and match pieces from different sets for more variety.
The choice is yours!
That’s it for our top tips from the God of War Ragnarök development team – you are now ready to jump right at launch time tomorrow!
We have truly felt all the excitement and support you’ve shown for this game throughout our entire pre-launch. From everyone at Santa Monica Studio, thank you to all the God of War fans across the world!
In celebration of the release of God of War Ragnarök Santa Monica Studio donates $100,000 to Black Girls Code
Today, Santa Monica Studio is happy to announce a donation of $100,000 to Black Girls Code. We’re excited to support Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Social Justice Fund portfolio as we continue our collective effort to drive change – locally, nationally, and globally.
As part of Sony Group $100 million Global Social Justice Fund, which was established in 2020, SIE has contributed $11 million through the Social Justice Initiative and our PlayStation Career Pathways Program, supporting organizations and initiatives focused on improving diversity and representation in the video game industry.
Black Girls Code builds pathways for young Women of Color to embrace the current tech marketplace as builders and creators by introducing them to skills in computer programming and technology. The organization is devoted to showing the world that Black girls can code and do so much more. Black Girls Code is committed to creating stronger economies and more equitable societies—ultimately realizing the true potential of democracy through diversity and inclusion.
Black Girls Code is one of the many nonprofit organizations SIE supports whose efforts are focused on strengthening educational and career opportunities for historically disadvantaged communities. This is just another step as we’ll continue our efforts to make Sony Interactive Entertainment and the video game industry more diverse, inclusive, and accessible.
God of War Ragnarök launches tomorrow on November 9, 2022. Pre-order your copy here.
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