The rogue-lite mode launches on December 12th for free and features five difficulty settings, with permanent upgrades for runs.

One of the more surprising announcements at The Game Awards was that God of War Ragnarok would receive free DLC, specifically a separate rogue-lite mode. Valhalla is an epilogue to the base game, but as per the PlayStation Blog, players can jump in at any time, regardless of upgrades and story progress. Finish the story is recommended, though.

Valhalla involves venturing into the titular location’s mysterious depths, with Kratos looking to “overcome trials within himself and face echoes of his past.” As with any rogue-lite title, falling in battle means starting over from the beginning, but you’ll earn resources to spend on permanent upgrades (which can also affect Valhalla).

Though all his weapons and Skills are available, you must choose one shield and Spartan Rage path. You also discover Glyphs for stat upgrades, Perks, Runic Attacks and more with difficulty settings. The higher the difficulty, the more rewards are earned, and you can swap between them freely.

As for armor, it’s cosmetic only, allowing you to mix and match styles. God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla launches on December 12th as free DLC. Stay tuned for more details in the meantime and check out our review for the game here. It’s sold over 15 million units since launching last year.