Screenshots from a cancelled God of War multiplayer game have surfaced online, giving fans their first look at what could have been Sony’s next live-service project. The images, shared by MP1st, reveal that Bluepoint Games was developing a multiplayer experience set in Ancient Greece, marking a potential return to the franchise’s roots after years in Norse mythology.
The project was one of two unannounced live-service games Sony cancelled in early 2025 as part of a broader reassessment of its live-service strategy. While the game was never officially announced, Bloomberg had previously reported its existence before Sony pulled the plug. Now, leaked screenshots provide concrete evidence of how far the project progressed before cancellation.
A Return to Greek Mythology
The leaked screenshots confirm that Bluepoint’s cancelled God of War game would have transported players back to Ancient Greece, a setting the franchise hasn’t explored since God of War: Ascension in 2013. The modern God of War games, starting with the 2018 soft reboot, have focused exclusively on Norse mythology with Kratos and his son Atreus navigating the Nine Realms.
One particularly notable detail from the screenshots involves Hades, the Greek god of the underworld who appeared as a major antagonist in God of War III before his death at Kratos’s hands. The leaked images reference locations like Hades’ Armory and sulphur pools zones, suggesting the god would have played a significant role in the game’s narrative. How Bluepoint planned to explain Hades’ return after his canonical death remains unknown, though the live-service format could have offered creative storytelling opportunities.
Dynamic Environments and Cursed States
Perhaps the most intriguing revelation from the leaked screenshots involves dynamic environment states. Two images showing the same location, Hades’ Armory, appear in drastically different conditions. One shows a normal state, while the other displays a cursed version covered in rust-colored corrosive effects. This mechanic suggests the game world would have changed based on player actions or game events, adding a layer of complexity beyond traditional multiplayer experiences.
The screenshots also showcase diverse locations including caverns, temples, Greek pottery, and various environmental props. Some images contain Norse-like elements alongside Greek architecture, indicating Bluepoint was either experimenting with mixing mythologies or the project was still in a fluid design phase when development halted.
Bluepoint’s Vision for Multiplayer
The leaked screenshots reveal large, open environments clearly designed to accommodate multiple players simultaneously. The scale and layout of these areas differ significantly from the tight, narrative-focused level design of recent single-player God of War entries. Hades’ Armory appears spacious enough for group activities, whether cooperative missions or competitive player-versus-player encounters.
While specific gameplay mechanics remain unclear, the emphasis on weapon storage areas like Hades’ Armory suggests players would have been able to collect and equip various armaments. This aligns with typical live-service design philosophy, where character progression and loot acquisition drive player engagement over extended periods.
Why Bluepoint Pitched the Project
According to Reddit discussions about the leak, Bluepoint proposed the God of War live-service project independently rather than being assigned it by Sony. This decision likely stemmed from the studio’s awareness that Sony was actively funding live-service initiatives and seeking studios to develop such games. Following successful remakes of Demon’s Souls and Shadow of the Colossus, Bluepoint may have felt confident pitching an original multiplayer concept using an established franchise.
However, the decision to approve a live-service God of War game raised eyebrows even within gaming communities. Many observers questioned why Sony would greenlight such a project when they acquired Bluepoint specifically for their remake expertise, not live-service development. The cancellation suggests Sony eventually reached a similar conclusion.
Sony’s Live-Service Retreat
The cancelled God of War project represents just one casualty in Sony’s dramatic pullback from live-service ambitions. The company originally announced plans to release 12 live-service games by 2025, but that strategy imploded spectacularly following high-profile failures and cancellations.
Concord, Sony’s hero shooter, launched in August 2024 and shut down just two weeks later after catastrophic player retention issues. The game reportedly cost over $200 million to develop and became one of the biggest commercial disasters in PlayStation history. Marathon, Bungie’s extraction shooter, remains in development but has faced multiple delays and internal restructuring.
Multiple Cancellations Across Studios
In January 2025, Sony confirmed the cancellation of two unannounced live-service games: the God of War project at Bluepoint and another title from Bend Studio, developers of Days Gone. A Sony spokesperson stated the company would work closely with both studios to determine their next projects and minimize business impact, specifically noting that neither studio would close despite the cancellations.
These cancellations followed Sony’s acknowledgment that its live-service strategy wasn’t going entirely smoothly. The company quietly shuffled eight of its planned 12 live-service games into permanent cancellation, representing hundreds of millions in wasted development costs and years of work from talented developers.
What’s Next for Bluepoint
Despite the cancellation, Bluepoint Games remains operational and is already working on its next project. Recent job listings from the studio describe a third-person melee action game with emphasis on combat systems, boss characters, and enemy design. The description has sparked speculation that Bluepoint might return to what it does best: remaking beloved games.
Some fans have theorized the studio could be working on a full remake of the original 2005 God of War, bringing Kratos’s Greek adventures to modern hardware with updated visuals and gameplay. This would represent a natural evolution of Bluepoint’s expertise while avoiding the live-service pitfalls that doomed their previous project. However, nothing has been officially confirmed.
Community Reaction
Response to the leaked screenshots has been mixed. Many God of War fans expressed relief that the live-service project was cancelled, citing concerns about multiplayer diluting the franchise’s strengths in narrative storytelling and character development. The single-player, story-driven approach has defined God of War’s identity, particularly since the 2018 reboot.
Others felt disappointed to see Greek mythology content scrapped, as many longtime fans have hoped for Kratos to eventually return to Greece and confront unresolved storylines from the original trilogy. The screenshots suggest Bluepoint had created visually impressive environments that captured the aesthetic of ancient Greece, which now will never be experienced by players.
The Bigger Picture
The cancelled God of War multiplayer game exemplifies broader industry trends around live-service development. Publishers spent years chasing the success of games like Fortnite, Destiny, and Call of Duty: Warzone, believing every franchise could be transformed into an ongoing revenue generator. However, the live-service market proved far more difficult to crack than anticipated.
For every successful live-service game, dozens fail to attract sustainable player bases. Development costs run into hundreds of millions, and post-launch support requires constant content updates, server maintenance, and community management. Even well-funded projects from major publishers have crashed and burned, as demonstrated by games like Anthem, Marvel’s Avengers, and Sony’s own Concord.
The Future of God of War
The mainline God of War franchise remains in good health despite this cancellation. God of War Ragnarok sold over 15 million copies and concluded Kratos’s Norse saga. Actor Christopher Judge recently expressed hope that the series would explore Egyptian mythology next, calling it a completion of his personal circle given his iconic role as Teal’c in Stargate.
Whether Sony Santa Monica Studio pursues Egypt, returns to Greece, or explores entirely different pantheons remains unknown. What seems certain is that any future God of War game will maintain the single-player, narrative-focused approach that made the 2018 reboot and its sequel so successful. The cancelled multiplayer project serves as a reminder that not every franchise needs to become a live-service game.
FAQs
What was Bluepoint’s cancelled God of War game about?
The cancelled project was a multiplayer live-service game set in Ancient Greece, featuring locations tied to Hades and dynamic cursed environments. Screenshots suggest it would have supported multiple players in large open areas, though specific gameplay details remain unknown.
Why did Sony cancel the God of War multiplayer game?
Sony cancelled the project in early 2025 as part of a broader reassessment of its live-service strategy following multiple high-profile failures including Concord. The company originally planned 12 live-service games by 2025 but ultimately cancelled eight of them.
Will Bluepoint Games shut down after the cancellation?
No, Bluepoint Games remains operational and is already working on a new third-person melee action game. Sony specifically stated it would work with Bluepoint to determine their next project and minimize business impact from the cancellation.
Where did the leaked screenshots come from?
The screenshots were published by MP1st in late October 2025. The outlet obtained the images from sources connected to the cancelled project, though Bluepoint and Sony have not officially commented on the leak.
Would the game have featured Hades despite his death in God of War III?
The leaked screenshots reference Hades’ Armory and sulphur pools zones associated with the god, suggesting he would have played a role in the game. How Bluepoint planned to explain his presence after his canonical death in God of War III remains unknown.
What are the cursed environment states shown in the screenshots?
Screenshots show the same location in both normal and cursed states, with the cursed version displaying rust-colored corrosive effects. This suggests the game world would have dynamically changed, possibly based on player actions or story events.
Is this the only God of War game cancelled by Sony?
As far as public knowledge goes, this Bluepoint project is the only cancelled God of War game. The mainline series continues with God of War Ragnarok being the latest entry, and future single-player sequels remain likely.
What happened to Sony’s other cancelled live-service game?
Sony also cancelled an unannounced live-service game from Bend Studio, creators of Days Gone. That project was described as a new open-world IP. Like Bluepoint, Bend Studio remains operational and is determining its next project.
Conclusion
The leaked screenshots of Bluepoint’s cancelled God of War multiplayer game offer a fascinating glimpse into a project that will never see release. While the images showcase impressive Greek environments and intriguing mechanics like dynamic cursed states, the cancellation reflects Sony’s recognition that not every beloved franchise belongs in the live-service space. God of War built its reputation on intimate storytelling, mythological exploration, and character-driven narratives, elements that don’t naturally translate to ongoing multiplayer experiences. The financial disasters of Concord and other failed live-service attempts taught Sony an expensive lesson about market saturation and player preferences. As Bluepoint moves forward with a new third-person action project, fans can hope the studio returns to what it does best: crafting beautiful remakes that honor classic games. Meanwhile, the mainline God of War franchise continues its single-player journey, with speculation mounting about which mythology Kratos will explore next. The cancelled multiplayer game will remain a curious footnote in PlayStation history, a reminder of an ambitious experiment that was ultimately abandoned before it could prove whether it deserved to exist.