God Of War Ragnarok: All NG+ Changes [Explained]

God Of War Ragnarok has dropped perhaps one of its biggest updates since release, from newer armor pieces, level cap increases, harder difficulties, new sparring arenas, QOL changes, bug fixes, and more. Players might want to know these changes since the God Of War Ragnarok NG+ game mode has been anticipated for months!

Skipping Cutscenes 

One of the first things that players will be able to notice whenever they enter into the God Of War Ragnarok NG+ mode is that anytime they experience the game from start to finish again, they will be met with a newer look to their cutscenes. 

• As you enter a cutscene, you can see a “Skip Cinematic” option towards the bottom right corner, which was never there when the game was first released. 
• This makes it incredibly easier on the players, especially for players who might not want to sit through the entire cutscenes again since the game starts from the beginning. Therefore, this is a huge QOL upgrade. 

Enemy Powerups 

Another change that players might not or might have noticed is that in the two difficulties “Give Me No Mercy” and “Give Me God Of War,” undoubtedly one of the most menacing difficulties, a new change has been brought. 

• Enemies you have attacked can now power up and essentially increase their power level in Give Me No Mercy, making them all the more menacing to take down, which used to be saved for the Give Me God Of War difficulty before. 

• Besides that, considering the greatest difficulties, every boss and mini-boss in the game now gets a Runic Armor in battle. This causes the opponents to become immune to being staggered from any Runic Attacks for a short while. 

• The mechanic gets triggered anytime players end up spamming their attacks repeatedly, which now prevents players from just staggering bosses in one place and winning easily. 

Sonic And Runic Arrows

While players can keep almost everything they worked hard for in their previous gameplay, such as their weapons and resources, they still need the Sonic and Runic Arrows in the NG+ game mode. 

Armors 

Moving on, one of the biggest changes will be additions of the Black Bear Armor, alongside three other armor sets that players can purchase or gain by defeating an enemy, as listed below. 

Black Bear Armor 

Now, another major NG+ change in GOWR that players will notice is that whenever they start the game again in the new game mode, they are equipped with an armor set, which happens to be the Black Bear Armor Set. 

• Originally, Kratos can be seen wearing the cloak in the box art and in-game for a short duration before it is taken away from him, but this time, the cloak can be kept. 
• The Cloak Of The Bear Armor enhances the player’s overall immunity duration anytime they are evading. Other than that, it also ends up causing any last-second evades to cast out a volley of the Bifrost shards. 

Cloak Of The Black Bear	Stats
Strength	62
Defense	62
Cooldown	21
Power Level	7

• The Wraps of the Black Bear has Shadow Strike II, which allows for Kratos’ first melee attack that is carried out immediately after he evades an enemy attack to cause enhanced damage. 

Wraps Of The Black Bear	Stats
Strength	65
Defense	13
Cooldown	13
Power Level	7

• As for the Belt Of The Black Bear, it can also have Shadowstrike II, which can then repeat the same effects as the one listed above. 

Belt Of The Black Bear	Stats
Strength	13
Defense	65
Cooldown	13
Power Level	7

Spartan Armor 

A rather cooler option that players can get is the Spartan Armor which happens to include the Sorrow Of Sparta chest armor. 

• The sorrow of Sparta grants players a look whereby Kratos is bare-chested, and it goes as far as to remove the bracers that Kratos would normally wear, highlighting a few of his scars acquired before. 

• The armor doesn’t grant any stat boosts or enhancements and is merely there for players looking for a challenge. 
• Players can get the grip of Sparta, which is a weapon attachment. 

• Since the armor can’t be upgraded further, players can’t transmog it. 
• Attachments like the Grip, Pommel, Hind, and Rond of Sparta can be obtained. 

Ares Armor Set

If you’re looking for a rather hotter armor set, the Ares Armor Set has also been added and can be purchased using Hacksilver whenever you go to the Blacksmith. 

• The Cuirass of Ares grants the Rage Of Ares, through which players can get a lucky chance whenever they carry out one of their Rage hits, through which they might get a healthstone drop. Healthstones will also now grant rage.
• Players must craft it by spending 75,500 Hacksilver, which requires 24 Skap Slag. 

Cuirass Of Ares	Stats
Level 8	Defense: 70 Luck: 20 Strength: 40 Cooldown: 20
Crafting	75,500 Hacksilver 24 Skap Slag
Upgrading	136,500 Hacksilver 24 Skap Slag
Level 8+	Strength: 48 Luck: 25 Defense: 75 Cooldown: 35
Further Upgrading	220,000 Hacksilver Skap Slag: 24
Level 9	Defense: 80 Strength: 55 Luck: 30 Cooldown: 40

• The Gauntlet Of Ares is another part of the God Of War Ragnarok NG+ Gamemode armor set. 

Gauntlet Of Area	Stats
Level 8	Defense: 52 Strength: 30 Luck: 15 Cooldown: 22
Crafting	56,600 Hacksilver 20 Skap Slag
Upgrading	102,500 Hacksilver 20 Skap Slag
Level 8+	Defense: 56 Strength: 36 Luck: 19 Cooldown: 26
Upgrading Further	170000 Hacksilver 20 Skap Slag
Level 9	Defense: 60 Strength: 41 Luck: 23 Cooldown 30

• Last but not least, the War Belt Of Ares has the following stats. 

War Belt Of Ares	Stats
Level 8	Strength: 30 Luck: 15 Defense: 52 Cooldown: 22
Crafting	56,600 Hacksilver 20 Skap Slag
Upgrading	102,500 Hacksilver 20 Skap Slag
Level 8+	Strength: 36 Luck: 19 Defense: 56 Cooldown: 26
Upgrading Further	170,000 Hacksilver 20 Skap Slag
Level 9	Strength: 41 Defense: 60 Cooldown: 30 Luck: 23

Zeus Armor 

Another armor set that players can get now in God Of War Ragnarok NG+ is the Zeus Armor. 

• One of its best skills is Glass Ballista, through which players can increase their standard attack’s damage, but also increases the amount of damage that Kratos receives. 
• Players can get the set by defeating Gna and completing a few Remnants of Asgard while on the NG+ save slot. 

• The Cuirass of Zeus can be acquired after defeating the Sigrun in Midgard. 

• The Gauntlets can be acquired after murdering the Gondul in Muspelheim. 

• Lastly, the War Belt of Zeus can be obtained after annihilating Hildr in Niflheim. 

New Shield 

Other than this, amongst the God Of War Ragnarok All Update 4.00 Changes, another change is brought to the player’s attention once they reach Sindri’s House, and they can unlock the Blacksmith. 

• Whenever you head over to Sindri’s place and open up the Shield’s menu, you can look through the various shields. 
• Alongside that, a new shield called the Spartan Aspis has been added, described as a shield that is fit for only the most hardened of warriors. 
• It is a different form of the Guardian Shield (as said in the text) with a smaller parry window, but its counterattacks are much stronger. 
• Players can purchase it by spending 7500 Hacksilver, which players might have amassed already due to their accumulated wealth. 
• It resembles a shield that used to be a part of the God of War 2018 game.

Armor Appearance 

Apart from this, 13 new armor appearances have been placed in the game, a few of which are as follows. 

• Elivagar Armor Appearance is a visual appearance that symbolizes the eleven rivers of creation. It can be crafted by spending 20000 hacksilver. 

• The Folkvangr Armor Appearance symbolizes the serene meadows of the afterlife and can be crafted for 20000 Hacksilver again. 

• The Andvari’s Majestic Armor Appearance has been modeled after Andvari’s signature attire. 
• As for the Lustrous Armor Appearance, it has been inspired by the stars that are in the sky. 

• The Loyalty Armor Appearance has been inspired by the Ghost of Sparta’s favorite color. 

• Jarnsmida’s Noble Armor appearance has been modeled after the Dwarven working-class uniforms. 

• The Twilight Stone Armor Appearance, it was inspired by one of the reflective stones that are found in Alfheim. 
• The Nott Armor Appearance is a visual armor that represents a cooler night. 

• The Gullinbursti’s Armor Appearance has been inspired by the golden boar. 

• With the Drake Wrapped Armor Appearance, it was inspired by the drakes that roamed the lands. 
• The Wild Howl was inspired by the beasts that were in the Wildwoods. 

• The Dagr Armor, it embodies a warmer day. 
• The Dreki Braided was sought out after taking inspiration from the Dreki. 

• The final Berserker Armor can be acquired after murdering the Berserker King after fighting it on NG+ mode. 

Four New Upgrade Levels 

Players that have managed to get their armor to level 9 before switching over to the NG+ slot will be able to see a total of 4 new upgrade levels. 

• The 9., 9.. and 9… and 10 level upgrades have been added so players with their equipment at 9 can enhance them and max them out. 
• Players can get the upgrades and see them for level 9 equipment as soon as they make their way to Sindri’s Place. 
• Players also gain Gilded Coins for items beyond level 9, gold coins needed for powerful enchantments. 

New Burdens 

Players can also find new burdens besides the upgrade levels, including in God Of War Ragnarok All NG+ Changes. 

Burdens	Effects	Hacksilver Cost
Burden Of Evasion	Anytime a player dodge rolls, it causes players to take the Frost Status Effect	10000
Burden Of Rage	Decrease the overall rate through which players gain Rage.	10000
Burden Of Weaponry	Decreases the overall stagger and damage output of attacks that are launched by Triangle.	10000
Burden Of Guard	Kratos will intake damage as well as losing rage if he is block broken with the Yellow Ring attacks from opponents.	10000
Burden Of Restoration	Reduces the overall healing that is obtained from Healthstones, Gear and Rage.	10000
Burden Of Momentum	The overall Weapon damage is reduced unless the Maelstrom, Immolation or Permafrost skills have been charged fully.	10000
Burden Of Elements	Decreases up the overall resistance of all Status Effects.	10000
Burden Of Stun	Decreases the Stun Damage	10000
Burden Of Runic	Decreases the Runic Attack damage.	10000

Enchantments

Now, there are a total of 3 Badge Enchantments listed as follows. 

Enchantments	Perks	Gilded Coin Costs
Badge Of Disruption	Elemental Storm grants a low luck chance to create an elemental storm anytime interrupting blue ring attacks.	3
Badge Of Restoration	Restoring Shield allows for gaining Defense upon intaking damage and his next shield strike may restore HP.	3
Badge Of Absorption	Defender’s Momentum allows for the Permafrost, Maelstrong and Immolation skill gauges to get enhanced anytime you parry or block attacks.	3

Apart from this, below listed is the set of engraving enchantments that players can get. 

Enchantments	Minimum Stats Required	Perks	Gilded Coin Costs
Vidar’s Engraving	350 Strength	Relentless Might allows for combo finishers to have a high luck chance to enhance Kratos’ strength and his stagger resistance.	5
Mani’s Engraving	370 Runic	Elemental Antagoniser enhances the damage that is caused by the Extinguish Flames as well as the Vaporise Frost Skills	5
Enlightenment Engraving	–	Armament Focus allows Frost Awaken and Flame Whiplash hits to get a moderate luck chance to grant a blessing of Runic.	5
Fortified Husk Engraving	510 Defense	Defender’s Riposte allows all blocks and parries to gain a moderate Luck chance to empower the next attack launched by Kratos to launch an explosion.	5
Nidavellir’s Finest Engraving	110 Vitality	Stunning Restoration allows for Stun Grabbing any opponent to grant a Health Burst.	5
Guiding Light Engraving	290 Luck	Weapon Blessing allows to get a moderate luck chance on any attack to enhance the Strength, Luck and Runic of any one of Kratos’ weapons.	5
Radiance Engraving	240 Runic	Evasive Focus grants a moderate luck chance to grant a blessing of Runic on a last second evade being caused.	5
Fallen Stars Engraving	110 Cooldown	Arcanist’s Defense decreases the damage taken when casing out a runic attack.	5
Fate Breaker Engraving	210 Vitality	Raging Aftermath allows for a short buff to be obtained to Strength, Stagger Resistance, Runic or Defense after returning from Rage.	5
Surtr’s Engraving	480 Strength	Pre-emptive Strike causes Kratos’ attacks that are launched towards opponents to cast out extra damage.	7
Berserker Engraving	170 cooldown	Soulless Rebuke allows for cause of a Soul Explosion upon intaking damage or parrying.	5
Hunter’s Engraving	–	Empowered Range allows for a buff to be granted upon holding down L2.	5
Dragon Engraving	600 Strength	Dragon’s Fury allows for blocks and parries to buff up strength and Defense.	12
Spiritual Engraving	310 Cooldown	Arcane Strength allows the Runic or Relic attacks to obtain a buff which increases Kratos; Melee and ranged damage output.	12
Steinbjorn Engraving	650 Defense	Bloodthirsty Retaliation allows for Kratos’ attacks to regain a bit of health after a lot of damage is taken.	5
Lunda’s Engraving	400 Luck	Vanir Poison allows for Bare-handed attacks, blocking or parrying to deal extra damage upon having high luck chance.	12

Niflheim Arena Upgrade 

Apart from the previous upgrades, players will also see an expansion to the Niflheim Arena. 

• Players can now choose between playing as Atreus or Kratos, allowing players to test out Atreus even further. 
• The arena allows players to use newer companions such as Atreus (with Kratos), Brok,  Freya, Ingrid, Sindri, Angrboda, Thrúd, and Thor. 
• Players can also choose between Special enemies too. 

Upgraded Progression Paths 

Alongside this, progression paths have been added: 

• New Skill Mod Plus allows for using XP to upgrade your skill mod tokens already present. 
• Other than that, bonus stat gains allow any nornir chests located in the open world to grant Yggdrasil Dew. 
• A Platinum tier has been added, allowing players to carry over their overall progress from their Kill Labors and their Ratatasks and get a platinum tier.

Smaller Changes 

A few other smaller changes that have been made are as follows: 

• Kratos and the opponents in the game have gained an enhanced level cap, which makes them all the harder to deal with but also makes Kratos stronger. 
• As we mentioned before, players can convert their equipment at level 9 to a plus version. 
• Both the Berserker Souls as well as the Valkyrie Queen Gna have gained adjustments. 
• Hateful and Ormstunga enemies have gotten changes too. 
• A Black and White Render Mode has been added, which can be accessed once players finish the game, allowing players to gain a newer cinematic look in-game. 
• Players are able to buy as well as sell resources now. 
• UI changes are made where the current difficulty is showcased on your HUD. 
• Characters like Mimir, Raeb, Lunda, and Hildisvini gain newer expressions. 
• Combat and UI bug fixes have been fixed.
• Different chests now also grant increased Hacksilver amounts. 

How To Unlock NG+?

Now, to gain access to the NG+ mode, players need to first go through the entire storyline of God of War Ragnarok from start to finish. 

• Whenever players log in to the game, on their main title screen, they should be able to look at their different main menu options. 

• The fifth option showcases the NG+ option. 
• If the game has been completed before, then players will get the prompt to start a new game with their equipment, hacksilver, as well as any items that were originally purchased from their previous save data. 

Summary 

And there we have it! All that players need to know about the new game+ mode, and with that, we will wrap up our God Of War Ragnarok NG+ guide! While you’re here, you might want to check out our God Of War Ragnarok Troll Locations guide since it goes into details about where they all might be located! Apart from this, knowing which relics you should invest in is extremely crucial. Therefore, our God Of War Ragnarok Best Relics guide should be of great help!

If players have been wondering where all of the Draugr Holes might be present, our God Of War Ragnarok All Draugr Holes Location guide can help you through it! Heimdall is extremely difficult to fight on your own; therefore, get a few tips on how to defeat it effectively with our God Of War Ragnarok Defeat Heimdall guide!

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