The story of Atreus and Kratos has yet to run its full course, but following the events ofGod of War Ragnarok, the next entries in the franchise could veer away from the father-son dynamic in some drastic ways. Beyond the two titular characters forging their next journey without each other, there is also room within the expanded cast of characters ofGod of Warfor a spin-off featuring neither Kratos nor Atreus.
The end ofGod of War Ragnarokstruck a bittersweet chord, with Odin’s scheming ways put to an end and his soul extinguished by a swift blow of Sindri’s smithing hammer, but not before the inevitable chain of events culminating in Ragnarok doomed the Nine Realms.Atreus, having stepped out of Kratos' shadow, takes the reins of his next adventure, left ambiguous but with the assurance that his ultimate aim is saving the giants. The future ofGod of Waris in flux in a way that fans have not experienced since prior to the 2018 soft reboot. Where Sony Santa Monica will take things next is anyone’s guess.
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God of War Should Escape the Bounds of its Mythos
While the Nine Realms will eventually become engulfed by the flames of Surtr,God of War Ragnarok’s end was only the beginning of that apocalypse. Though it is assumed that theNorse setting forGod of Warhas run its course, there is a compelling narrative unfolding with the end of the world that could create an upended version of a familiar setting for a new game, likeThe Legend ofZelda: Tears of the Kingdomdid with its revamped Hyrule. In a similar tonal shift, a story set in an even more chaotic version of the Nine Realms could also cast one of its auxiliary characters in a leading role.
God of War Ragnarokcombatflexed its variety with extended sections featuring Atreus as the playable character and a multitude of combat-assisting allies. If anything, it proved that Kratos was not essential to makingGod of War’s systems hum. Sony Santa Monica created a great platform for cinematic third-person action, and expanding movesets on one or two characters can only take it so far. Creating an alternative melee build for a character like Thrud or a ranged spellcasting Freya could takeGod of War’s combat systems to the next level.
A New Playable Character Could Let Sony Santa Monica Flex its Combat Prowess
It’s unlikely that Sony Santa Monica will choosenew protagonists for the nextGod of Wargame, with so much invested in the character development of Kratos and Atreus, but with the studio’s massive success critically and financially, it would not be outrageous to see a spin-off at some point in the future. There has been no news regarding massive expansion or an additional location for the team, but with greater success comes more resources from its publisher. SinceGod of Waris one of Sony’s premier franchises, the greater surprise would be if it had not pressured Sony Santa Monica to branch out yet.
It might be several years before any announcements are made, and speculation has already run rampant onwhereGod of Warcould go next. From new pantheons of gods to contend with, to new playable characters to fight them as, the possibilities are near endless. The Norse saga has reached its logical conclusion, but could absolutely be mined for more content, and the wealth of endearing characters woven into the story could make for some fantastic spin-offs.
God of War Ragnarokis available now for PS4 and PS5.
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