God of War's Kratos Was Almost Added as a Character in MLB The Show

Screen Rant

By Riley Little

Published Mar 21, 2019

It turns out that Kratos from God of War was almost added to MLB The Show, but the development team and Sony ultimately decided against it.

It turns out that Kratos from God of War was almost added to a previous iteration of MLB The Show. The Major League Baseball-licensed franchise is a longtime favorite for PlayStation owners, and that's sure to continue when MLB The Show 19 inevitably makes its appearance on PS4 this March. For those unfamiliar with the ongoing series, The Show is as good as it gets when it comes to baseball video games – hence its continued and annual success.

A lot of this can be attributed to the level of detail and accuracy that the developer behind the series, SIE San Diego Studio, places in the final experience. Each in-game player that's included in the game has their own look and specialties akin to their real-world counterparts, which makes it fun for baseball fans to jump into a game. The player at the forefront of all the attention in MLB The Show 19 is none other than Bryce Harper from the Philadelphia Phillies, but it sounds like he could have had some godly competition at one point.

During a preview session with MLB The Show 19, Screen Rant had the opportunity to speak with the game's Designer and Community Manager, Ramone Russell. Before departing from the event, one more question surrounding the potential for a crossover between PlayStation's other franchises was brought up. Specifically, the possibility of unlocking God of War's Kratos in MLB the Show 19 was brought up. As it turns out, the developers did try to make just such a thing happen in a previous game.

So you can't unlock Kratos in the game?

"No, you can't unlock Kratos. We did try to put him in the game one year though."

Did you? Why didn't it happen?

"Well, we're an 'E for All' game."

Although it sounds as if gaming crossovers like Fortnite and the MLB won't be happening anytime soon for a medley of reasons, the prospect of seeing Kratos and Atreus toss a ball back and forth is a funny enough one for the father and son duo. While this didn't end up happening, the logic provided by Russell is sound. The MLB license can't be all that easy to navigate, and implementing a character as violent as the God of War himself is sure to have turned some heads from parents.

Now, that hasn't prevented Kratos from appearing in other games like Shovel Knight or even the Sony-owned titles like Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds. After those in the gaming industry witnessed backlash from other sports leagues getting upset at the inclusion of guest characters – namely, the NBA growing agitated with the inclusion of Mortal Kombat characters in the original NBA Jam – it's understandable why SIE San Diego Studio decided to be safe rather than sorry. Still, there's nothing ruling it out from happening in the future.

More: Sony is Planning For More Multiplayer Exclusives With PlayStation 5

MLB The Show 19 arrives exclusively for PlayStation 4 consoles on March 26, 2019.