'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
God of War Ragnarok is scheduled to be released on November 9, 2022, for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 consoles. However, it seems that some players have gotten their hands on the game a bit earlier than expected.
In-game screenshots and gameplay clips from the title are quickly spreading across social media platforms despite Sony's efforts to contain them. The leaks, however, have made fans even more excited to play the game.
Fans excited about God of War Ragnarok but want to avoid spoilers and leaks
Copies of God of War Ragnarok were mistakenly shipped to customers by unknown retailers more than a week before the game's official release. Excited players took no time to upload in-game screenshots and videos to social media, which have now spread like wildfire.
Here are some reactions to the leaks:
Santa Monica Studio addresses leaks
Santa Monica Studio, the developer of the game, released an official statement addressing the leaks over the weekend.
The statement read:
"It is important for our studio to preserve the experience of God of War Ragnarok for players who want to enjoy the game for the first time without spoilers.
"We ask that you please be considerate of the many fans who do not want to accidentally see clips, gameplay, or narrative spoilers and avoid sharing them wider."
Santa Monica Studio expressed its discontent with the leaks and is doing its best to contain them. It also admitted that battling spoilers is an uphill task and urged players not to reveal any to the fanbase.
Fans were asked to avoid social hashtags and any keywords that might be related to the game lest they reveal the campaign. The studio said:
"We are doing our best to limit the exposure of unsanctioned footage and screenshots, but the reality is that we cannot catch everything. For those of you who do not want to risk seeing anything before launch, we strongly advise that you mute any keywords or hashtags associated with the game until release day."
Cory Barlog, the director of 2018's God of War, also commented on the leaks on Twitter, saying:
“Sorry to everyone that you have to dodge the spoilers if you want to play the game fresh ... This is not how any of us at SMS wanted things to go.”
God of War Ragnarok is the latest entry in the soft reboot of the long-running PlayStation franchise, this time featuring Norse mythology. Kratos and his son Atreus must brave through the perils of their journey while attempting to find a way to prevent Ragnarok from taking place.
