God of War

Atreus is Kratos and Faye's son in God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarok, revealed at the end of the 2018 game to be the one the giants call Loki. Sunny Suljic plays him.

Baldur is the Stranger of God of War (2018), the Norse god of light cursed by his mother Freya to feel nothing, whom Kratos fights through the game and finally kills. Jeremy Davies won a BAFTA as The Stranger.

Faye (Laufey) is Kratos's wife and Atreus's mother in God of War, a giant whose death opens God of War (2018) and the hero of God of War Laufey, out on PS5 on May 20, 2027. Deborah Ann Woll plays her.

Freya is the witch of the woods in God of War (2018), revealed as Baldur's mother and Odin's former wife, who hunts Kratos in God of War Ragnarok before becoming his ally. Danielle Bisutti plays her.

Every major God of War character by era, from Faye, Phranque and Rue in God of War Laufey (May 20, 2027) to the Norse cast of 2018 and Ragnarok and the Greek gods Kratos fought, with the actors where sourced.

Kratos is the Spartan warrior turned god at the center of God of War, who killed the gods of Olympus and later raised his son Atreus in the Norse realms. TC Carson voiced him in the Greek games and Christopher Judge since 2018.

Mimir is the storyteller who travels with Kratos and Atreus in God of War (2018), God of War Ragnarok and Valhalla, voiced by Alastair Duncan, who also voices him in the Prime Video series.

Odin and Thor are the Aesir antagonists of God of War Ragnarok. Odin, played by Richard Schiff, is the All-Father whose fear of death drives the story; Thor, played by Ryan Hurst, is his son and enforcer.

Phranque and Rue are Faye's two companions in God of War Laufey, out on PS5 May 20, 2027. Phranque is a talking cosmic cube played by Jack Quaid; Rue is a set of sentient ribbons guarding a sword, played by Perlina Lau.

Sekhmet and Begtse are the two gods Santa Monica Studio has named for God of War Laufey, both hostile to Faye in the Everywhen. Sekhmet is the Egyptian goddess of war; little else about either has been shown as of Nov 4, 2026.

The Everywhen is the setting of God of War Laufey, the afterlife of the gods where all magic is born and returns, where Faye wakes after her funeral. Its makers call it closer to a prison than a paradise.

God of War: Chains of Olympus is the 2008 PSP prequel made by Ready at Dawn, released in North America on Mar 4, 2008, in which Kratos, still serving the gods, goes into the Underworld to rescue the sun god Helios. It scored 91 on Metacritic and sold 3.3 million copies by 2012.

God of War: Ghost of Sparta is the 2010 PSP game by Ready at Dawn, released in North America on Nov 2, 2010, in which Kratos, newly the God of War, searches Atlantis and the realm of death for his lost brother Deimos and faces Thanatos. It scored 86 on Metacritic.

God of War (2005) is the original God of War, Santa Monica Studio's PlayStation 2 game created and directed by David Jaffe, released in North America on Mar 22, 2005. Kratos, a Spartan bound to the gods of Olympus, hunts Ares with the Blades of Chaos; it scored 94 on Metacritic and sold 4.6 million copies by 2012.

The Greek God of War games were collected four times: God of War Collection (PS3, 2009, by Bluepoint Games; PS Vita 2014), God of War: Origins Collection (PS3, 2011, by Ready at Dawn), God of War Saga (PS3, 2012) and God of War III Remastered (PS4, 2015, by Wholesale Algorithms). Only God of War III Remastered is still sold, as of Nov 4, 2026.

God of War II is the 2007 PlayStation 2 sequel, directed by Cory Barlog and released in North America on Mar 13, 2007. Betrayed by Zeus, Kratos allies with the Titans and seeks the Sisters of Fate; it scored 93 on Metacritic and IGN called it possibly the best action game ever made.

God of War III is the 2010 PlayStation 3 game that ends Kratos's Greek trilogy, released in North America on Mar 16, 2010 and directed by Stig Asmussen; Kratos climbs Mount Olympus and kills Zeus. It scored 92 on Metacritic, and God of War III Remastered (PS4, Jul 14, 2015) is the only one of the first three games still sold.

God of War Sons of Sparta is a 2D pixel-art God of War prequel by Mega Cat Studios with Santa Monica Studio, released on PS5 on Feb 12, 2026 for $29.99, in which teenage Kratos and his brother Deimos search for a missing cadet. It scored 64 on Metacritic and 65 on OpenCritic.

Santa Monica Studio announced on Feb 12, 2026 that the original God of War trilogy (God of War, God of War II and God of War III) is being remade, calling it very early in development. As of Nov 4, 2026 there is no release date, platform list, price or footage.

God of War: Ascension is the 2013 PlayStation 3 prequel directed by Todd Papy, released in North America on Mar 12, 2013, set ten years before the first game as Kratos breaks his blood oath with the gods and is hunted by the Furies. It added the series' first online multiplayer and scored 80 on Metacritic, the lowest of the Greek-era console games before Sons of Sparta.

God of War: Betrayal is a 2D God of War game for mobile phones, released in the US on Jun 20, 2007 and set between God of War and God of War II, in which Kratos is wrongly accused of betraying Olympus. IGN scored it 9; it is no longer sold anywhere.

The Greek God of War games pit Kratos against the gods of Olympus and the Titans: Ares in the first game, Zeus and the Titans in God of War II, and in God of War III Poseidon, Hades, Helios, Hermes, Hercules, Hera, Hephaestus, Cronos, Gaia and Zeus, all killed. This page lists them game by game.

God of War (2018) won Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2018, D.I.C.E. and BAFTA, and God of War (2005) won Game of the Year at D.I.C.E. in 2006. God of War Ragnarok won six Game Awards, seven D.I.C.E. awards and six BAFTAs but lost Game of the Year at The Game Awards and D.I.C.E. to Elden Ring.

God of War Ragnarok has five difficulty settings, Give Me Story, Give Me Grace, Give Me Balance, Give Me No Mercy and Give Me God of War; the hardest can only be chosen at the start of a new game, and Valhalla has five settings of its own, up to Show Me Mastery.

There are 11 God of War games and one free epilogue from God of War (2005) to God of War Sons of Sparta (2026), with God of War Laufey next on May 20, 2027. In story order the Greek saga runs from Sons of Sparta to God of War III, then the Norse saga from God of War (2018) to Valhalla, with Laufey beside the 2018 game.

God of War Ragnarok on PC (Sep 19, 2024) needs at least a GTX 1060 or RX 5500 XT, 8 GB of RAM and a 190 GB SSD, and since Jan 29, 2025 no PlayStation Network account; God of War (2018) on PC (Jan 14, 2022) needs a GTX 960 or R9 290X, 8 GB of RAM and 70 GB. Both are on Steam and the Epic Games Store; God of War Laufey has no PC version announced.

God of War Ragnarok has over 70 accessibility features by Sony's current count (more than 60 at its May 2022 reveal), grouped into four presets for vision, hearing, motion and motor needs, and it won Innovation in Accessibility at The Game Awards 2022.

The most useful God of War Ragnarok beginner tips are to pick Give Me Balance or lower if you want Evade Assist and miniboss checkpoints, turn on Auto Pick-Up, read the Lessons Learned Codex, and build armor and enchantments around one play style. They come from Santa Monica Studio's own settings and guides.

God of War Ragnarok's New Game Plus arrived free on Apr 5, 2023, unlocked by finishing the story on any difficulty; it carries over gear, weapons and skills, raises the level cap and adds new armor. God of War (2018) got its own New Game Plus on Aug 20, 2018.

Three God of War games share the series' best Metacritic score, 94: God of War (2005), God of War (2018) on PS4 and God of War Ragnarok on PS5. The lowest is God of War Sons of Sparta at 64; God of War Laufey has no reviews before its May 20, 2027 release.

God of War (2018) is the best-selling God of War game at over 23 million copies by Sony's Nov 2022 count, and God of War Ragnarok had sold more than 15 million by Nov 19, 2023. The Greek games sold 21.65 million together by May 2012; Sony has published no newer series total.

The God of War story runs from Kratos's youth in Sparta (Sons of Sparta) through his revenge on Ares and Zeus (God of War to God of War III), then to his life in the Norse world with Faye and Atreus (God of War 2018, Ragnarok and Valhalla). God of War Laufey follows Faye from her funeral, alongside the 2018 game.

God of War Ragnarok has 36 trophies with the platinum, "The Bear and the Wolf", plus 12 for Valhalla; God of War (2018) has 37, with the platinum "Father and Son". Neither needs a second playthrough or a particular difficulty.

God of War Ragnarok takes about 26.5 hours to beat and 55.5 hours to complete on HowLongToBeat, and God of War (2018) about 20.5 and 51 hours. The Greek games run 5.5 to 12 hours each; God of War Laufey has no length yet before its May 20, 2027 release.

On PS5 you can play God of War (2018), God of War Ragnarok, Valhalla, Sons of Sparta and God of War III Remastered today, and the first two are in PlayStation Plus Extra. Both Norse games are also on Steam and the Epic Games Store; God of War Laufey is PS5 only from May 20, 2027.

For most new players the best God of War to start with is God of War (2018), then God of War Ragnarok, which is also the order PlayStation recommends before God of War Laufey. Release order (from the 2005 game) or story order (from Sons of Sparta) suit players with a PlayStation 3 or PS Vita.

God of War Laufey is Santa Monica Studio's next God of War game, a PS5 action game whose hero is Faye (Laufey), Kratos's wife, fighting through the Everywhen, the afterlife of the gods. It comes out on May 20, 2027.

God of War Laufey sells as a $69.99 Standard Edition, digital or physical, and a $79.99 Digital Deluxe Edition, with a $10 upgrade between them. Pre-orders add the Last Wish Armor Set; the $149.99 Collector Box holds no game.

In God of War Laufey, Faye fights with a sword guarded by Rue's ribbons, soul magic that knocks a foe's soul out of its body, and the two-mode Serpent Bow, faster and more airborne than Kratos. All of it comes from official material and the Jun 2, 2026 footage of a pre-release build.

God of War Laufey is a PlayStation 5 game only, PS5 Pro Enhanced, with no PS4 version and no PC or Steam version announced as of Nov 4, 2026. It comes on disc as well as digitally on May 20, 2027.

God of War Laufey comes out on May 20, 2027 on PS5, after Santa Monica Studio delayed it on Nov 4, 2026 from Feb 16, 2027 for "the finishing touches". No launch hour had been announced as of that day.

God of War Laufey was revealed with about 20 minutes of uncut gameplay at State of Play on Jun 2, 2026, followed by developer videos, a Comic-Con date trailer on Jul 24 and a pre-orders trailer on Sep 29. No new trailer came with the Nov 4, 2026 delay.

You do not need to play earlier God of War games before God of War Laufey, PlayStation says, but it recommends God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarok first. Their main stories take about 20 and 27 hours on HowLongToBeat.

God of War Laufey opens at Faye's funeral pyre, the first scene of God of War (2018), and Deborah Ann Woll says its story runs concurrently with that game. How far it reaches beyond 2018 has not been said, and a Kratos-led game will follow it.

A Call from the Wilds is a free God of War text adventure played in Facebook Messenger, announced on Feb 1, 2018 ahead of God of War (2018), about a young Atreus before his mother Faye's death; it takes about 45 minutes and unlocks eight pieces of concept art.

God of War (2018) is Santa Monica Studio's Norse reboot, released on PS4 on Apr 20, 2018 and on PC on Jan 14, 2022, in which Kratos and his son Atreus carry Faye's ashes across the Norse realms. Directed by Cory Barlog, it won Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2018 and had sold over 23 million copies by Sep 2022.

God of War (2018)'s story bosses include the Stranger (Baldur) at the start and end, the dragon Hraezlyr, Thor's sons Magni and Modi, and trolls, and its optional bosses are nine Valkyries, the last of them Valkyrie Queen Sigrun at the Council of Valkyries.

God of War (2018) follows Kratos and his son Atreus as they carry the ashes of Faye, his late wife, to the highest peak in Jotunheim, fighting Baldur on the way. The ending reveals that Faye was the giant Laufey and that Atreus is Loki, and a secret scene brings Thor to their door.

God of War Ragnarok is Santa Monica Studio's 2022 sequel to God of War (2018), released on Nov 9, 2022 for PS4 and PS5 and on PC on Sep 19, 2024, in which Kratos and Atreus cross all nine Norse realms as Ragnarok nears. Directed by Eric Williams, it sold 15 million copies in its first year and won six awards at The Game Awards 2022.

God of War Ragnarok has 22 story boss fights in IGN's guide, from Bjorn and Thor in the first quest to Odin in the last, plus ten Berserker gravestone fights ending with King Hrolf Kraki and the hardest optional boss, Valkyrie Queen Gna in Muspelheim.

God of War Ragnarok ends with Odin dead, Asgard destroyed and Kratos alive, defying the prophecy of his death, while Atreus leaves to find the surviving giants. A final shrine shows Kratos as a revered god, which narrative director Matt Sophos called "the rebuilder".

The Nine Realms of God of War are Midgard, Alfheim, Asgard, Helheim, Jotunheim, Muspelheim, Niflheim, Svartalfheim and Vanaheim. God of War (2018) leaves three unvisited, God of War Ragnarok and its Valhalla epilogue visit all nine; God of War Laufey leaves them for the Everywhen.

Valhalla is the free roguelite epilogue to God of War Ragnarok, released on Dec 12, 2023, in which Kratos and Mimir climb through repeating trials built from Kratos's past. It is free for every Ragnarok owner and included in the PC version.

Kratos's weapons in God of War are the Blades of Chaos, chained to his arms since the Greek games, and in the Norse saga the Leviathan Axe that once belonged to Faye, the Guardian Shield and, in God of War Ragnarok, the Draupnir Spear. In God of War Laufey Faye fights with a sword guarded by Rue, soul magic and the Serpent Bow.

The next God of War game is God of War Laufey, Santa Monica Studio's PS5 game starring Faye (Laufey), Kratos's wife, in the Everywhen, the afterlife of the gods. It was delayed on Nov 4, 2026 from Feb 16 to May 20, 2027.

Christopher Judge has played Kratos in God of War since the 2018 game, replacing TC Carson, and won Best Performance at The Game Awards 2022 and a BAFTA in 2023 for God of War Ragnarok. He is listed as Kratos in God of War Laufey.

Cory Barlog directed God of War II (2007) and God of War (2018), the Norse reboot that won Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2018. He is Santa Monica Studio's Head of Creative and co-hosted the God of War Laufey panel where a Kratos-led follow-up was revealed.

David Jaffe created and directed the first God of War game (2005) at Santa Monica Studio and was creative director and co-writer on God of War II. He later co-directed Twisted Metal for PS3 and directed Drawn to Death.

Deborah Ann Woll plays Faye (Laufey) in God of War, first in God of War Ragnarok and now as the hero of God of War Laufey, giving the character her voice, performance capture and likeness. She is also known as Karen Page in Daredevil and Jessica Hamby in True Blood.

God of War turned 20 on Mar 22, 2025. Santa Monica Studio marked it with the free Dark Odyssey Collection for God of War Ragnarok (Mar 20, 2025), a Los Angeles exhibition, developer and cast panels, a two-volume retrospective book, vinyl and merchandise, but no remaster.

God of War has three novels (two Greek-era books from Random House Worlds and Titan Books' 2018 novelization), comics from WildStorm and Dark Horse, Dark Horse art books, Lore and Legends, and the two-volume 20th Anniversary Retrospective.

Bear McCreary has scored God of War since the 2018 game, including Ragnarok, Valhalla, Sons of Sparta and God of War Laufey. The Greek games' famous fanfare is Gerard Marino's; the scores have won at The Game Awards, BAFTA and D.I.C.E.

Prime Video's live-action God of War series, a two-season order run by Ronald D. Moore, adapts the Norse games with Dave Bautista as Kratos after Ryan Hurst was injured on set. As of Nov 4, 2026 it has no premiere date.

Santa Monica Studio's next Kratos-led God of War game will directly follow the events of God of War Laufey, Cory Barlog said at San Diego Comic-Con on Jul 24, 2026. It has no title, platform or date as of Nov 4, 2026; the Greek trilogy remake is the other announced project.

Raising Kratos is PlayStation's free feature-length documentary, about two hours long, on how Santa Monica Studio made God of War (2018). It was announced on Apr 20, 2019 and released on PlayStation's YouTube channel in May 2019.

Santa Monica Studio is the Sony Interactive Entertainment studio in California that makes God of War. Founded in 1999, it made every main God of War game from 2005 to Ragnarok and is now finishing God of War Laufey for PS5, due May 20, 2027.