God of War Ragnarok is getting free DLC on Dec. 12 called Valhalla, which will give players an entirely new experience as they journey alongside Kratos in an epilogue.
According to the official trailer, players will “embark with Kratos to Valhalla on a deeply personal and reflective journey towards a future he never thought possible.” Sony Santa Monica is taking things in a new direction by pulling elements from the rougelite genre that will take you on a new path after the battle against Odin, where Kratos is only joined by Mimir.
This DLC will focus on mastering combat, bringing in those roguelite elements to expand on what players are used to. Every time you fall in combat, you will learn more about Valhalla and gain rewards to increase Kratos’ strength with permanent upgrades—and those can even alter Valhalla itself. “The shore of Valhalla humbles all those who wish to enter. Kratos must cast off his armor and equipment, and instead build towards both per-attempt and permanent rewards,” Grace Orlady said on the PlayStation Blog.
Based on what we have seen so far, the gameplay will feature a mix of new mechanics that build on the base game’s combat. New armor will be included that you can customize purely for style rather than substance. Valhalla will feature five difficulty settings and will be a completely separate mode from the original game, so you can dive in at any time, even though the studio recommends you play the main story first to avoid spoilers.
This article will be updated with more information as it becomes available.