God of War Ragnarok guide: How to start New Game+

Most of God of War Ragnarok's post-launch updates were geared towards fixing a few bugs and improving the game's performance as well as stability on the PlayStation 4/PlayStation 5. However, with the most recent patch for this game, Santa Monica Studio has added a plethora of new content for players to enjoy, including new armor sets and the highly requested "New Game+" mode.

The latter comes with its own set of unlockable protective gear sets, enchantments, difficulty modifiers, and a host of other features that deliver a fresh experience for players replaying the story. Here's a comprehensive guide on how to start New Game+ in God of War Ragnarok.

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How to start New Game+ in God of War Ragnarok?

Starting New Game+ in God of War Ragnarok is a fairly straightforward process. When you first load up this title after updating it to version 04.00, you will see a dedicated "New Game+" option in the main menu. This will allow you to convert one of your manual save files into a save for this mode. It should be noted that to start New Game+, you will need to finish all the main story quests.

While you can jump into the mode as soon as you complete the final boss fight and epilogue, it is recommended to first finish all side quests, collect ample upgrade materials, and upgrade your weapons to level 9 since New Game+ is significantly more challenging than the base game. It is also recommended to create a manual save before starting the mode.

The benefit of choosing New Game+ over a regular "New Game" is the ability to carry over most of your unlocks and upgrades from your previous playthrough. This applies to all the acquired armor sets for all playable characters — as well as companions, all weapon upgrades, runic attacks, enchantments, relics, Hacksilver, and also experience points.

That said, New Game+ comes feature-packed with multiple new armor sets. This includes the returning Ares and Zeus sets from God of War (2018), the Spartan armor set (for those old-school GOW aesthetics), and the highly requested cloaked Armor of the Black Bear.

Alongside new items, Santa Monica Studio has also added a fresh shield type called the Spartan Aspis in New Game+. This is similar to the trusted Guardian Shield but has a significantly tighter parry window. The new shield basically mimics the playstyle of the classic God of War games, with a restrictive parry system.

The developers have also included 13 new color variations for existing armor sets, which you can unlock by upgrading them. There is also an increase in the level cap for Kratos and his weapons in God of War Ragnarok's current version, specifically for New Game+.