By Susan Payne
Sony Santa Monica has hidden a tragic LGBTQ_ side quest in its God of War Ragnarok game, a first of its kind for the franchise’s lengthy history.
Director Cory Barlog, seemed to confirm that Brok is LGBTQ+, according to GGRecon, an e-sports news network. The storyline is tragic and can be found in the Nine Realms sidequest “Across the Realms.”
In the game, Mimir explains the pair Jari and Somr, which honors the real relationship between Sam Handrick, a senior gameplay programmer and Ragnarok dev Jake Snipes, who passed away in 2020 due to epilepsy complications.
During “Across the Realms,” you must collect ingredients and go to the Eternal Campfire, according to GGRecon. The campfire burns with a rainbow-colored flame to honor the pair.
Handrick wrote on Twitter, “Jake was and is a shining light in my life.”
Handrick thanked director Eric Williams, who supported the pair.
“I wanted this story to be one many queer people know: journeying through a world that doesn’t always understand you to find a place that truly feels like home. And sometimes that place is simply a person. And something as simple as a recipe can be a link back to that home.”
Another character in the franchise, however, was a “raging bisexual” according to franchise creator David Jaffe. He has also discussed the idea of Atreus being gay in Ragnarok and said they wouldn’t have a problem with it, according to GGRecon.
