The most recent release in the God of War franchise is officially out, providing fans with yet another opportunity to utterly annihilate as Kratos.
The beloved action-adventure games have been staples of the genre for nearly 20 years. The first God of War title was released back in 2005, and the years since have seen fresh releases hit shelves almost every year. The first saga of games, which saw Kratos tear his way through the entirety of the Greek pantheon, took a very different approach from the more recent releases, which lean far harder into Kratos’ “human” side, and emphasize his relationship with his son.
The most recent God of War releases shift focus from Greek mythology into Norse mythology, pitting Kratos against the likes of Odin, Thor, and Baldur. The first game in the second era of God of War games follows Kratos and his son Atreus as they seek out the highest peak in the nine realms, combatting gods and inadvertently setting the stage for Ragnarök. The latest game, released on Nov. 9, 2022, will see the events started in the 2018 release come to a head, harkening in Ragnarök and pitting Kratos against the remainder of the Norse gods.
Ragnarök is technically the tenth game in Kratos’ lineup, following almost two decades of God of War releases. The people at Sony’s Santa Monica Studio have been pouring their talent into this franchise for a long time now, and people are starting to wonder if Ragnarök will serve as a conclusion to the popular series.
Is Ragnarök the final God of War release?
Fans are very much enjoying the change of pace offered up by the Norse chapter of the God of War saga, and would likely welcome another dozen releases following Kratos and Atreus. The team behind the games has a different plan, unfortunately, that could see the Norse saga conclude Kratos’ adventures.
To be fair, we have no confirmation that Ragnarök is the final God of War game, but we do know it will conclude the Norse saga. The team behind the games want to maintain the same story quality, and thus are working to avoid stretching it over too many releases. The Greek saga of games is certainly guilty of this, and suffered in quality as the games continued to hammer the same ideas over an excessive number of releases. It seems they are making the right choice by restricting the Norse saga to only two games, but some gamers will surely greet the news with disappointment.
Thankfully, there’s still plenty of potential for the God of War saga to stretch far beyond the current chapter. Cory Barlog, the creative director of video game development at Santa Monica Studio, has teased the innumerable potentials for future God of War releases, which could touch on mythology from a number of cultures. Should the franchise continue past Ragnarök, gamers could find themselves testing their mettle against gods from Egyptian or Mayan mythology, to name just a few.