God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla

Kratos emerged onscreen, rowing a boat through a mysterious fog in the livestream of The Game Awards in early December, 2023. I heard thousands of shocked fans in the theater erupt into applause and smiled, knowing that thousands more were doing the same around the world. I felt a sense of mischievous euphoria, witnessing the worldwide gaming community learn about a secret I had been working on. (The last time I felt anything approaching this euphoria was in 2016, at the E3 presentation when God of War was first announced, and I conducted a live orchestra and choir in a rousing rendition of my new theme.) Valhalla would prove to combine intensely satisfying, procedurally generated combat experience with a thoughtful narrative that provided an emotional epilogue to the character arc of series protagonist Kratos.