God Of War Ragnarok Is Releasing In Time For The World To End

After a long wait, God of War Ragnarok officially launches on PS5 and PS4 on November 9, a date which just so happens to be shortly after the world ends. According to Norse legends that is, as a total lunar eclipse has been forecast for this week.

As spotted by Twitter and TikTok user EmManuDoll, the celestial event is a rare occurrence in which Earth, the sun, and the moon are aligned with each other. This creates a phenomenon known as a Blood Moon, which in ancient Norse mythology, signals the beginning of the end of the world. As EmManuDoll, the Blood Moon was seen as a sign that the wolves Skoll and Hati had succeeded in capturing the sun and the moon, devouring them and beginning the cycle of Ragnarok.

The Blood Moon will enter its umbra phase visible on November 8 (around 02:17 AM PT / 05:17 AM ET if you want to set an alarm clock) according to NASA and the event will last for 85 minutes. So is this release date a case of uncanny timing from Sony and God of War Ragnarok developer Sony Santa Monica? The studio isn't saying anything, but it did respond to EmManuDoll's tweet:

If this is a case of spectacularly good timing, then it's probably a sign that the universe has Kratos' back for his latest adventure, which is a strong contender for game of the year.

"For every moment of brutality, there is one of genuine and relatable emotion," Tamoor Hussain wrote in GameSpot's God of War Ragnarok review. "How they land will vary from person to person, but there were multiple that left me with tears welling up. If nothing else, God of War Ragnarok further cements Sony Santa Monica's narrative team as one of the best in the business."