God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarok art director Raf Grassetti has left Santa Monica Studio after 11 years of working at the company. Grassetti announced his departure late last week, confirming that it’s not only his last day at Santa Monica Studio but at Sony in general. The art director was largely responsible for leading the acclaimed visual design of both God of War games.
Posting a message on his social media accounts last week, Grassetti announced that he’s parting ways with Santa Monica Studio and stepping away from the God of War franchise. No reason was given for his departure but he thanked the developers at Sony, including directors Cory Barlog and Eric Williams, for the opportunity to work on such massive games.
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Grassetti’s statement on Twitter about leaving Santa Monica Studio reads:
“It’s bittersweet, but above all, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the countless opportunities I’ve been fortunate to have. Sony has been my second home, and I’m immensely grateful to be involved so deeply with God of War. The skills I’ve learned, and the deep connections I’ve formed with incredible people will stay with me forever. I am extremely confident in the studio’s continued success, and I hope we can create together again in the future.”
Grassetti left fans with a little tease, stating “I will share more news on what’s next for me next week.” Hopefully he will land a senior art position at another company but we’ll just have to wait see what’s next for the art director.
As for what that means for the next wave of God of War games (should they actually get made), Santa Monica Studio is believed to be working on a secret project right now under Barlog’s leadership, though that’s just speculation and rumours for now. It’s unclear if we’ll see a continuation of the God of War series anytime soon as Ragnarok tied everything up pretty well, though we trust the studio has plenty of ideas for where to take the franchise next – maybe Egypt?
Source: Raf Grassetti
