The surprise release of God of War (GoW): Sons of Sparta has sparked excitement and confusion. Sony shadow-dropped the title following the PlayStation State of Play presentation on February 12. Fans immediately flocked to the prequel. However, players cannot find the promised co-op mode.
The official PlayStation Store page initially listed “2-player co-op” as a key feature. This listing remained for several hours after the launch. Consequently, many fans purchased the game expecting a multiplayer experience. Now, that description is gone. The store page currently lists the game as a fully offline, single-player experience.
The sudden removal of the co-op tag has angered the community. Players are currently reporting that the mode does not exist. Some fans attempted to unlock multiplayer by plugging in a second controller. Others speculated that beating the game solo might unlock the feature. Unfortunately, these methods have produced no results.
Since the store page misled buyers, multiple players are now asking for refunds. They bought the title specifically for the co-op functionality. This backlash is significant. It recalls the disappointment surrounding the cancelled God of War multiplayer game from Bluepoint Games.
The confusion extends beyond the store page text. The official trailer from the February State of Play fueled these theories. The footage showed two spear-wielding characters battling monsters together.
Furthermore, the store page confirms the second character is Deimos, Kratos’ brother. Deimos has a deep history in the franchise, first mentioned in the original God of War on PS2. He later appeared in the PSP title GoW: Ghost of Sparta. In GoW: Sons of Sparta, however, Deimos only appears as a computer-controlled NPC during boss fights. He is not playable.
Currently, GoW: Sons of Sparta remains a 2D side-scrolling adventure focused on Kratos’ early life and Spartan training. Unless Santa Monica Studios releases a future update, the game is strictly a solo journey.