Cory Barlog, an American video game designer, director, and writer, was born on September 2, 1975, in Sacramento, California. He is the son of fantasy novelist J. M. Barlog.
In his early career, Barlog worked as a lead animator at Paradox Development, contributing to the development of Backyard Wrestling: Don't Try This at Home and X-Men: Next Dimension. He later joined Santa Monica Studio, where he served as the lead animator for God of War (2005) and directed God of War II (2007),earning a BAFTA award for his writing work on the game.
Barlog continued his work at Santa Monica Studio, directing God of War III (2010) for the first eight months of its development. Although not affiliated with Sony at the time, he contributed to the writing of God of War: Ghost of Sparta (2010).
As a keynote speaker at ECAROcon 2008, Barlog showcased his expertise in the gaming industry. He later worked at LucasArts, and in an interview, announced his involvement in a tie-in video game for the 2015 film Mad Max: Fury Road. He collaborated with Avalanche Studios, known for their work on the Just Cause series, and was reportedly stationed in Sweden to develop the title. Despite various gaming websites confirming the game's development, Barlog left Avalanche Studios early in the process, and the game never materialized.
In March 2012, Barlog joined Crystal Dynamics, where he directed the cinematics for the new Tomb Raider game and was set to direct an unannounced title. However, he departed the company in April 2013.
In August 2013, Barlog returned to Santa Monica Studio, where he currently serves as the creative director. He directed God of War (2018),earning the Game Award for Best Game Direction, and the game itself won Game of the Year and the BAFTA Games Award for Best Game. Barlog also wrote the foreword to the novelization of the game, which was penned by his father.
In addition to his work on God of War, Barlog produced the sequel God of War Ragnarök (2022). Throughout his career, he has demonstrated his versatility and expertise in the gaming industry, consistently pushing the boundaries of storytelling and game design.
