Conquering the Nine Realms in Santa Monica Studio’s reboot of God of War is a legendary gaming rite of passage. But tearing through Draugr, vanquishing dark elves, and taking down the standard story campaign is really just the warm-up act. If you truly want to test your combat prowess, diving into New Game Plus (NG+) is where the real game begins. NG+ isn't just a simple victory lap; it completely overhauls enemy encounters, introduces an entire new tier of 'Perfect' rarity gear, and unlocks build combinations that turn Kratos from a mere god of war into an unstoppable force of nature.
Whether you are jumping into NG+ on your original PS4 save, tearing through native 4K visuals on PC, or prepping yourself for the brutal challenges of Midgard, this ultimate God of War New Game Plus guide covers everything you need to know. We will break down gear conversion, resource farming like Skap Slag, build strategies, and tactics for taking down the game's toughest encounters on Give Me God of War difficulty.
What Carries Over in God of War New Game Plus?
When you start a fresh New Game Plus save, you don't start from scratch. Santa Monica Studio designed the mode so you can jump right back into the action feeling powerful from the very first frame. However, to keep the game narrative working properly, certain progression elements stay behind while your combat tools carry forward.
What You Keep:
- Weapons & Upgrades: The Leviathan Axe and Blades of Chaos keep their current upgrade levels, runic attack slots, and attachments. You even get to keep the Blades of Chaos right from the opening tutorial fight against Baldur!
- Armor & Enchantments: Every piece of armor, chest piece, wrist guard, and waist belt earned in your previous run remains in your inventory. All socketed enchantments stay intact.
- Resources & Hacksilver: Your hard-earned Hacksilver carries over, along with crafting materials like Mist Echoes, Greater Crests of Flame, and Smoldering Embers.
- Runic Attacks & Skill Trees: Every combat combo and elemental Runic Attack unlocked for both Kratos and Atreus carries directly into NG+. You won't need to re-purchase basic combat skills.
What Resets:
- Story Key Items & Quest Progression: Quest-specific keys, Chisel Pieces to open Secret Chambers, and Realm Travel Ciphers (Niflheim and Muspelheim) are reset. You must collect Ciphers again to open those optional realms.
- Valkyrie Defeats: All eight Valkyries and the Valkyrie Queen Sigrun reset, allowing you to fight them again for NG+ exclusive rewards.
If you enjoy deep character progression systems and taking end-game builds into high-stakes combat, exploring our extensive RPG guides category will give you plenty of similar combat-heavy titles to sink your teeth into after finishing Kratos' journey.
New Mechanics and Difficulty Settings Introduced in NG+
New Game Plus isn't just about replaying the story with late-game weapons—it introduces sweeping mechanical updates designed to challenge veteran players. The enemy AI is sharper, attacks come faster, and standard Draugr can now enter an empowered state mid-combat if you don't burst them down quickly.
The Perfect Rarity Gear Tier (Red Gear)
In standard playthroughs, Epic (Gold) gear represents the peak of equipment quality. In NG+, an entirely new gear tier unlocks: Perfect Rarity (Red). Perfect armor, talismans, pommels, and enchantments boast vastly superior base stats, higher level caps (up to Level 10), and additional enchantment sockets.
Crafting and upgrading red gear requires a brand-new endgame material: Skap Slag. Without Skap Slag, your build progression will quickly stall, making it the most valuable resource in NG+.
Enemy Behavior Changes
Even on standard difficulty, enemies hit harder and recover faster. On higher difficulties—especially Give Me God of War (GMGOW)—enemies gain temporary armor during their attack animations and can turn into elite versions mid-fight if left unattacked for too long. Knowing how to weave heavy crowd control Runic attacks into quick melee chains is vital. If you're a fan of mastering precision timing and execution, taking time to practice your combos is just as crucial here as it is when learning optimal fight strategies in Riders Republic combo execution guides or competitive fighting games.
The Best New Game Plus Armor Sets and Build Strategies
To dominate NG+, you need equipment that complements your playstyle. Because Perfect gear allows Kratos to reach character Level 9 or 10, choosing the right stat focus—Strength, Runic, Cooldown, or Defense—makes a massive difference.
1. The Zeus Armor Set (The Glass Cannon Build)
The Armor of Zeus is arguably the most powerful yet dangerous armor set in the entire game. Obtained exclusively in NG+ by defeating the Valkyries (and Sigrun for the chest piece), this set features the perk Glass Realm.
- Effect: Massively increases Kratos’ standard melee damage, allowing basic attacks to hit with the force of heavy Runic abilities.
- Catch: Massively increases the damage Kratos receives. On GMGOW difficulty, almost any hit from an enemy will result in an instant kill.
If you can master dodging and parrying, the Zeus set can melt boss health bars in seconds. For players looking for maximum burst DPS, this set functions similarly to high-risk high-reward builds found in fast-paced boss brawlers like Street Fighter Duel's elite damage dealers.
2. The Valkyrie Armor+ Set (The All-Rounder Powerhouse)
If getting one-shot by a random Draugr doesn't sound fun, the upgraded Valkyrie+ set is the ultimate balanced build. Craftable after acquiring Valkyrie components in NG+, this set provides massive boosts to Strength, Defense, Runic, and Cooldown.
Its unique perks grant a high chance to proc Unstoppable Aura during attacks, preventing enemy hits from interrupting your combo strings. Paired with high Cooldown enchantments, you can spam powerful Runic abilities like Hel's Touch and Ivaldi’s Anvil with minimal downtime.
3. Converting Fully Upgraded Gear into Enchantments
One of the best hidden features of NG+ is the ability to turn certain max-level Armor sets and Talismans into socketable Enchantments at Brok and Sindri's shop. For example, upgrading the Talisman of Kvasir+ (which triggers Realm Shift on a last-second dodge) to maximum level allows you to convert it into an enchantment. You can then socket that Realm Shift effect directly into your Zeus or Valkyrie armor, freeing up your Talisman slot for items like the Shattered Gauntlet of Ages+.
How to Farm Skap Slag Efficiently
Because every piece of Perfect Red armor requires dozens of Skap Slag to forge and upgrade, gathering this resource is your top priority in NG+. Thankfully, Santa Monica Studio added multiple avenues for collecting it across Midgard and the surrounding realms.
Best Skap Slag Farm Methods:
- Opening Red Chests and Coffers: Almost every coffin, legendary chest, and hidden realm chest that previously contained standard gear or upgrade items now drops Skap Slag alongside Hacksilver.
- Completing Main Story Objectives: Major story milestones reward hefty chunks of Skap Slag. Just following the main questline with Atreus will net you over 100 Skap Slag by the time you reach the summit.
- Closing Realm Tears: Interacting with Realm Tears across the Lake of Nine yields high concentrations of Skap Slag along with top-tier enchantments.
- Muspelheim Trials and Niflheim Fog Runs: Running the volcanic trials in Muspelheim or clearing chambers in Niflheim's workshop awards steady streams of Skap Slag. Combined with farming Mist Echoes, this is the most repeatable endgame loop.
Farming resources efficiently to craft end-game gear requires a methodical mindset, much like surviving solo sandbox titles. If you love deep survival loops and resource gathering, check out our selection of top solo survival games to master.
Pro Tips to Defeat Valkyrie Queen Sigrun on NG+
Valkyrie Queen Sigrun is widely considered one of the most punishing boss battles in modern gaming. On New Game Plus, especially on higher difficulties, her health pool is gargantuan, her attack patterns are slightly randomized, and her wing slices come out faster than ever.
1. Memorize Her Telegraphs
Sigrun mixes attack strings from all eight previous Valkyries. The most lethal attack to watch out for is her instant aerial jump slam ("Valhalla!"). The moment she jumps straight into the air without blinding flash effects, roll immediately. Don't dodge early—wait for the brief sound cue or her foot to leave the screen, then dodge twice.
2. Use Realm Shift Sparingly
Equipping the Aegir’s Protection+ or utilizing the Talisman of Kvasir dodge enchantment allows you to slow down time when executing a perfect dodge. Save your heaviest Runic burst attacks—such as Blessing of the Frost or River of Knives—for these slowed-down frames to guarantee full damage hits without getting interrupted.
3. Interrupt Her Blinding Air Attacks
When Sigrun hovers in the air and begins spinning her staff, she is preparing an arena-wide blinding attack that deals massive damage. Immediately command Atreus to fire arrows or throw your Leviathan Axe directly at her face to knock her out of the air before the spell finishes casting.
4. Bring a Superior Resurrection Stone
Never enter the Sigrun fight without a Berserker’s or Superior Resurrection Stone. The extra surge of Rage or Health upon death often makes the difference between a 1% wipe and claiming ultimate victory.
Conquering high-tier bosses takes real patience. While casual players might prefer easier MMORPGs for beginners, taking down Sigrun on NG+ offers an unmatched rush of adrenaline that few action games can duplicate.
Preparing for God of War Ragnarök’s NG+ Challenge
If you've migrated from 2018's God of War to its critically acclaimed sequel, God of War Ragnarök, you'll be pleased to know that Santa Monica Studio expanded the NG+ feature set even further. Ragnarök's NG+ includes higher level caps, fresh armor armor appearances (like the Armor of the Black Bear), brand-new enchantments that penalize your stats for hardcore roleplayers (Burdens), and expanded skill mod adjustments.
For players experiencing Kratos' Norse saga on PC, optimizing performance and controls is just as critical as mastering execution. If you play your action RPGs across multiple platforms or mobile devices, explore our guide on native controller support setups to get console-like responsiveness everywhere you play.
To dive deeper into official patch notes, developer insights, and details on upcoming updates, visit the official Santa Monica Studio official website or check out the God of War Steam store page to grab the game on PC. You can also read more detailed developer interviews on the official PlayStation Blog.
Summary Checklist for Starting NG+:
- Finish all favors, Niflheim maze clears, and Muspelheim trials on your main save first.
- Fully upgrade your favorite Epic armor pieces so you can convert them into enchantments immediately upon entering NG+.
- Stockpile as much Hacksilver as possible—crafting Perfect rarity red gear gets very expensive!
- Set your preferred difficulty. Remember: you can lower the difficulty mid-game on all modes except Give Me God of War.
New Game Plus represents God of War combat at its absolute peak. Gear up, collect that Skap Slag, hone your parry timing, and show the Norse gods why Kratos remains the undisputed Ghost of Sparta. Don't forget to browse our ultimate gaming guides section for more in-depth strategies, boss breakdowns, and meta builds across your favorite titles!