The God of War series has always been known for its cinematic storytelling, brutal combat, and deeply personal character moments. But behind the scenes, Sony Santa Monica and its partners were quietly exploring a different direction one that fans are only just now learning about. Over the weekend, several screenshots from a cancelled God of War multiplayer project surfaced online, giving players a rare glimpse at what could have been a bold new chapter for the franchise.

The images, which reportedly originated from Bluepoint Games unannounced live-service title, show a mix of environments and character models clearly inspired by the Norse mythology setting of God of War Ragnarök and a return to the Greek setting it would appear. Its source has provided them with a ton of screenshots, available here, and provide some interesting insight. It’s important to note that, while it may be true, take it with a grain of salt. 

According to reports, the multiplayer game reached a playable state before Sony decided to pull the plug. The cancellation came earlier this year as part of a broader internal restructuring that saw several live-service projects shelved or re-evaluated. Sony has since stated that it remains committed to its studios and that both Bluepoint and Bend Studio (which was also affected by the changes) are continuing work on new projects.

The idea of a God of War multiplayer game may sound strange, but it’s not without precedent. God of War: Ascension on the PlayStation 3 introduced competitive multiplayer modes that, while divisive, showed that the core combat system could work surprisingly well in a shared arena. The difference here appears to be scope. Bluepoint’s version seems to have been designed from the ground up as a full live-service experience one that could have grown over time with new gods, regions, and mythic challenges.

For now, the game remains another “what could have been” in PlayStation’s history. Whether any of its ideas find their way into future projects remains to be seen, but the emergence of these screenshots gives fans an intriguing look at an alternate path the series might have taken.

If nothing else, the leak serves as a reminder that even at the highest level of the industry, experimentation still happens and sometimes, it happens quietly, behind closed doors.