Fans of the God of War series will have to wait a little bit longer to get much-needed answers to questions about the game’s lore. According to a post on the PlayStation Blog, God of War: Ragnarök will be released in 2022 instead of this year, giving fans more time to ask important questions about Kratos and Atreus’ fate.
Based on actual stories from Greek and Norse mythology, the GoW franchise is known for its creative retelling of the tales of characters like Loki, Athena, Zeus, and Thor. With the latest God of War installment expected to tell the story of Ragnarök, known in Norse mythology as an epic battle revolving around apocalyptic events, fans are curious to see exactly how it will unfold in the next game. While 2018's God of War did leave important clues that helped fans gain a clearer picture of the lore behind the game, some of the most important questions remain unanswered.
How Does Ragnarok Start?
Looking back at the events of 2018's God of War, it’s easy to see that the game is already hinting at the beginning of Ragnarök. In the final boss fight against Baldur, Atreus (who is also Loki, the God of Mischief) accidentally discovers the antagonist’s only vulnerability – mistletoe.
This event is a direct parallel to a tale in Norse mythology, where Loki convinces the blind god, Hodr, to strike down Baldur with a mistletoe branch. This causes the gods to panic, as it has been prophesied that Baldur’s death would signal the start of Ragnarök. The end of the game also hints at the start of Fimbulwinter, which is a 3-year period of intense snow and blizzards in Midgard. Will God of War: Ragnarök start at the end of Fimbulwinter, just when Ragnarök is supposed to happen based on Norse mythology? Or will it begin sometime in the middle, building up to the events of Ragnarök?
Will Atreus Be Three Years Older?
In the secret ending of 2018's God of War, it’s revealed that Fimbulwinter is coming to an end. Atreus looks pretty much the same despite three years passing, but this may not be the case in the next game.
If the events of Ragnarök take place towards the end of Fimbulwinter, is it possible that fans will see an older version of Atreus? If this is the case, he may not just look different, but might also have new abilities and add more unlockable skills to the God of War games. A more mature version of the God of Mischief may add more interesting elements to the gameplay, especially if developers decide to make him a playable character in the upcoming sequel.
Is Kratos Going To Die?
One of the major reveals in 2018's God of War takes place in Jotunheim, where Kratos and the boy find murals that accurately depict their journey up until that point. As Kratos looks towards the end of the panels, the torn cloth obscuring the last image is briefly lifted up by the wind, revealing an ominous scene that fans are still debating today.
At first glance, the image seems to be depicting a lifeless or injured Kratos in the arms of a devastated Atreus, implying that Kratos will die in the near future. Upon taking a closer look, however, fans will see that the figure does not have Kratos’ signature markings and is even wearing different clothes. This might be a deliberate way to mislead fans into expecting Kratos’ death in Ragnarök when it’s highly likely that Atreus is mourning someone else in that image.
How Did Faye Die?
God of War's first few moments revolves around Faye’s death. Playing the role of Atreus’ mother and Kratos’ second wife, fans don’t really get to know much about Faye until the very end of the game. It’s eventually revealed that Faye was a giant, which makes Atreus a half-god, half-giant child.
Throughout the story, starting from the tree that Kratos chops down, players see markers in the form of yellow hands all the way up to Jotunheim. It turns out that these are Faye’s handprints, which implies she has been to Jotunheim and back. Does this mean she was part of whatever battle killed all the giants? Could this have led to her death as well? Fans will hopefully get a clearer picture of Faye’s death in God of War: Ragnarök and how her demise will further impact the life of her child.
How Will Freya Rain Down Every Agony?
After Kratos kills Baldur to save Freya’s life, it causes deep anger in her that fans will likely see again in God of War: Ragnarök. In one of the most chilling moments in the game, she furiously turns to Kratos and says: "I will rain down every agony, every violation imaginable, upon you."
Freya has the potential to become one of the coolest villains in God of War, and it looks like this is where her story is headed. The former Queen of the Valkyries used to be a fierce warrior, until Odin cursed her to never be able to leave Midgard, taking away her wings in the process. Fans are eager to see if she will find a way to break free of this in the sequel, as part of Odin’s curse is that she couldn’t harm any living thing for as long as she lives.
Which New Realms Can Be Accessed?
It’s no secret that there are more realms in God of War that fans weren’t able to access in the last game. Based on the Yggdrasil (also known as the Tree of Life), which allows the player to travel between realms, players have only been able to visit six realms so far – Midgard, Alfheim, Helheim, Jotunheim, Muspelheim, and Niflheim.
The remaining realms – Vanaheim, Svartlheim, and Asgard – are visible in the Tree of Life, but remained locked in 2018's God of War. Ragnarök may explore one or two of these locations, which should be interesting additions to the lore and could add even more rewarding side quests to God of War. One particularly important realm that might open up is Vanaheim, which is Freya’s home. Players could see glimpses of this realm through Freya’s window in the last game, which may be hinting at it being an accessible location in the sequel.
Will There Be Other Lands And Mythologies?
Players already know that Kratos has Tyr’s Unity Stone, which Mimir explains allowed the son of Odin to visit other realms "and other lands." This last phrase refers to a much larger world that the GoW series may explore in the near future, including mythologies outside of the Greek and Norse tales.
One of the other clues that imply this is the shrine that depicts Tyr traveling between these different lands. Could fans begin to see more hints of the bigger universe where God of War’s events take place? The only other hint so far is a moment in 2018's God of War, when Atreus dons a Pharaoh’s hat that he finds in Tyr’s room of treasures. It would be interesting to see future God of War side quests and artifacts that allude to Egyptian gods and other mythologies.
Will Kratos Be Worthy Of Mjolnir?
If players stuck around for the secret ending, they would know that Kratos will most likely fight Thor in Ragnarök. In the cutscene, the thunder god stands outside the protagonist’s home, likely seeking revenge for what Kratos and Atreus did to his sons, Magni and Modi. Fans know it’s unmistakably Thor because he carries with him his signature weapon, Mjolnir.
Kratos has a Metroidvania-style history of taking his enemies’ weapons after he fights them – just like when he defeated Hades in God of War 3 and took the Claws of Hades as a reward. Fans may be curious to see if the same thing happens in Ragnarök, this time with Thor’s Mjolnir. Of course, the bigger question is has Kratos done enough to redeem himself, making him worthy enough to wield the hammer? He’ll likely have to go through a brutal fight with the thunder god before players find out.