'God of War 4' release date news: Game will reportedly launch in late 2017

God of War PS4Sony

During the E3, Sony Santa Monica showcased the first trailer and demo for "God of War" on the PS4, the seventh entry in the franchise which is being referred to as "God of War 4" for not being a prequel. It is expected to launch late next year, around the holidays, given that its current placeholder date on Amazon is a Dec. 29, 2017 launch date.

The placeholder may not be the official release date but it does give fans the idea that the game is not going to launch until late next year. It is likely that the game will be available a little sooner than Dec. 29 next year but not soon enough for it to launch this year, marking 2016 as the only year without a "God of War" game being released since the first.

As noted in a report from GamerPros, the page on Amazon already showcases a $59.99 price tag and the option to pre-order the game this early. However, no pre-order bonuses such as DLC, bonus or exclusive content have yet been announced, although these are likely going to be unveiled as the official release date comes closer.

While very little has been revealed about the game other than what was shown in the E3 demo, a report from Gadgets 360 reveals that the game will focus primarily on two forms of combat. Gameplay engineering lead Jeet Shroff and combat designer Mihir Sheth explain that Kratos will primarily fight with his magical axe but will also shift to hand-to-hand combat.

A little of this was showcased in the demo and there is also the option to command Kratos's son to fire arrows at an enemy. Using the axe, Kratos can execute quick combos, cast spells such as one shown when Kratos slammed the axe against the ground to freeze the environment, or it can be be thrown at an enemy and then magically return to his hand.