God Of War Ragnarok Gets New Game Plus Mode With Major Update

Santa Monica Studio has released a major update for God Of War Ragnarok today, adding New Game Plus (NG+) mode and lots of new additions and changes.

The NG+ mode is immediately available for anyone who’s completed the game, and it includes new equipment, an increased level cap, new gear, and new enchantments. Equipment, skills, and weapons including the Draupnir Spear are all available from the start, but Sonic and Hex arrows are not.

Santa Monica Studio has confirmed in a PlayStation Blog Post that areas requiring the arrows or the Draupnir Spear will not unlock until you’ve reached the point in the game’s main questline where they are available through the story.

The update has also added Kratos’ cloak to the game after requests from players, equipped from the start. Known as the Armour Of The Black Bear, the clock focuses on Strength and Defence stats with a perk that “rewards your last-second evades with a volley of Bifrost shards”.

Other armours include the Spartan Armour, which comes with no perks and stats and is locked at Power Level 1, the Ares Armour, which drops a Health Stone on hit, and the Zeus Armour, which increases Melee and Runic damage along with increasing enemy damage.

The Ares and Spartan armour can be bought with Hacksilver at the Huldra Brothers’ Shop, while the Zeus Armour is acquired by defeating Gná The Valkyrie Queen and completing certain Remnants Of Asgard.

The Spartan Aspis shield has been added to the game, which has a tighter parry window but deals more damage. The shield can be bought with Hacksilver at the Huldra Brothers’ Shop.

Other additions to the game include remixes of 13 pre-existing armours into new colour combinations and styles, a new level cap to Level 9 for Kratos, Atreus, and enemies, new enchantments, as well as new Skill Mod Plus to upgrade existing Skill Mod tokens with XP, platinum tiered Labours, and new Stat levels.

The Sparring Arena in Niflheim in NG+ has been expanded, with new enemies to face and the ability to play as either Kratos or Atreus and choose companions – Atreus (With Kratos), Freya, Brok, Sindri, Angrboda, Ingrid, Thor, and Thrúd – to fight alongside you.

Endgame Berserker Souls bosses and Valkyrie Queen Gná have been adjusted, and optional bosses the Hateful and Ormstunga have been given “a few new tricks”. What’s more, all bosses will have Runic Armour on the Give Me No Mercy and Give Me God Of War difficulties in NG+.

To top everything else off, Santa Monica Studio has added a black and white render mode, which can be enabled in the Graphics & Camera settings for all new playthroughs.

The God Of War Ragnarok New Game Plus mode is available now.