'How is This DLC Free?;' God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla Delights Players

Source: Sony Interactive Entertainment.

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Announced during The Game Awards 2023 gala, free DLC Valhalla for God of War: Ragnarok debuted yesterday and was very well received by players. As I write these words, on PlayStation Network the DLC has been rated by 519 people. Their average score is 4.84 out of 5 - which is almost the same as the base game (4.85 out of 5 with 55,385 ratings).

If we look on Reddit or Twitter, we will find that basically every element of the Valhalla is described in superlatives:

1. the plot delights - especially fans of "old" installments of the series, in whose direction it is a big nod - and strongly deepens the psychological portrait of Kratos;
2. gameplay has been significantly diversified - new weapons have been introduced, which veterans should welcome with open arms (or chest) - making it even better than in the base game, and the gameplay loop is very attractive and addictive (the DLC has a roguelike twist);
3. new music tracks have been added that "evoke shivers."

All this makes a lot of people to wonder how, by Kratos' beard, GoW: Valhalla was made available for free. On Reddit a separate thread has even been created where players are debating the issue.

1. On the one hand God of War: Ragnarok has sold 15 million copies (as of November 19, 2023), which is still less than the result achieved by previous installment of the series (more than 23 million copies), but nevertheless excellent.
2. Santa Monica Studio and Sony therefore had every right to thank the community by releasing the DLC for free.
3. On the other hand, the Japanese are "milking" the players as much as they can, the best example of which is the announcement of of The Last of Us: Part II Remastered - "graphically refreshed" (I used the quotation marks on purpose - a visual comparison can be found here) version of the game from 2020.
4. Beyond that GoW: Ragnarok already received a major free update, which introduced, among other things, a new game plus mode or additional armor.

Considering the quality of the Valhalla DLC for God of War: Ragnarok, it seems that if Sony had priced it at $10 - just like the PS5 upgrade for TLoU 2 - gamers would not have complained too much. Fortunately, however, this was not the case, and instead of speculating whether it was worth reaching for their wallets, fans simply went on a nostalgic journey with Kratos. Let's wish for more such kind gestures from the corporation.

Just like the base game, God of War: Valhalla is available on PS4 and PS5. It can be expected that - following the example of its predecessor - the game, along with the DLC, will also come to PC.