God of War Sons of Sparta hits PS4 on November 16, with two new modes for PS5 players too

2026-11-14 · Guides

Santa Monica Studio announced on November 13, 2026 that God of War Sons of Sparta comes to PS4 on November 16. The same day, an update adds two new modes on both PS4 and PS5. The news came in an updated PlayStation Blog post from Grace Orlady, the studio's communications director.

What the game is

Sons of Sparta is a retro-style 2D action platformer and a canon prequel to the series. Young Kratos and his brother Deimos go through Spartan training in Laconia, with adult Kratos narrating. Mega Cat Studios developed it with Santa Monica Studio, and Bear McCreary wrote the score. It shadow-dropped on PS5 on February 12, 2026, during State of Play.

Hermes Mode is built for speedruns

Hermes Mode adds a split-based timer and a persistent scoreboard, so you can track your runs segment by segment.

You unlock it by beating the game once or by entering a code on the start menu. The studio published the code itself. Press Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, L1, R1, and then the touchpad.

Erebus Mode is one hit, one kill

In Erebus Mode, Kratos and his enemies all die in a single hit. You can't afford a mistake, but neither can they.

You pick either mode when you start a new save. Once a save is created, its mode can't be changed.

Get God of War and other PS5 and PS4 games for your own account and pay with USDT.

Price, and what Sony hasn't said

On PS5 the game is $29.99, and the Digital Deluxe Edition is $39.99. Several outlets call the update free. The blog simply says the modes arrive with a patch.

Still unannounced:

the price of the PS4 version
whether PS5 owners get the PS4 version at no extra cost
whether saves transfer between consoles
whether the new modes add trophies

Is it worth playing?

Reviews were lukewarm. The game sits at 64 on Metacritic, the lowest score in the series. Keep in mind what it is, though. This is a small, budget-priced side project in a different genre and not the next big God of War. If you like platformers or want Kratos's backstory, the PS4 release and the new modes make this a good time to jump in.

The next mainline entry, God of War Laufey, has been delayed to May 2027.

Want a hand?

We'll set up any game on your account. Pay with USDT. Questions? Message us in the bot @matrix_eng_bot or our manager on Telegram.