A moving homage to a Sony Santa Monica programmer who died appears in a God of War Ragnarok side mission. God of War has several Easter eggs referencing earlier PlayStation exclusive titles, but this one may be the most moving yet.
As they go through God of War Ragnarok, players may come across Favors, which provide them with additional gifts and tales about the characters in the Norse kingdoms. The game features around 20 hours of side content, and Sony Santa Monica advised players not to miss the side quests if at all feasible. (Although the side missions aren’t necessary for the main plot.) One unique Favor is “Throughout the Realms,” in which Mimir recounts Jari and Somr’s journey across the realms.
God of War Ragnarok character designer and programmer Sam Handrick revealed in a long Twitter thread that the Ballad of Jari and Somr was a memorial to his boyfriend Jake Snipes, a fellow developer who died in 2020. He recalled that he and Jari and Somr had gone throughout the United States to visit amusement parks. They both wanted to leave a symbol in Ragnarok to memorialise their meeting and love while working on the game. Snipes proposed carving their initials in Norse runes onto the globe like a heart.
When Snipes died, Handrick approached God of War Ragnarok director Eric Williams and informed him about the heart carving. The team not only added many hearts to the game, but they also wrote a side quest tale about two guys who met and found a place where they could belong. The location is known as The Eternal Campfire.
There's something in God of War Ragnarok which is the most special to me. I got to pitch it and the team made it into everything I could have hoped.
I had hoped to wait for some time to talk about it but want to share it now, just in case.
It's the Ballad of Jari and Somr. pic.twitter.com/S9itiutGbq
— Sam Handrick (@MDSVeritas) November 18, 2022
God of War Ragnarok fans showered love and support on Handrick’s Twitter thread. They thanked him for telling their narrative and that they enjoyed completing the Favor and listening to Jari and Somr’s Ballad. Many people reported finding The Eternal Campfire and the heart carvings in Alfheim. Some players said that this was the last Favor they needed to finish their game. Meanwhile, others are encouraged to seek out the Favor in order to hear the narrative for themselves.
It’s been just over a week since the release of God of War Ragnarok, and fans seem to be loving it. The game was nominated for Game of the Year at the 2022 Game Awards, with games such as Elden Ring and Horizon Forbidden West. The game may have a shot at the top award based on its overall response.
