God of War (2018)

0:04 God of War (2018) is the reboot that took Kratos from Greece to the Norse realms: released on PlayStation 4 on Apr 20, 2018 and on PC on Jan 14, 2022, it follows Kratos, now a father, and his son Atreus on a journey to scatter the ashes of Faye (Laufey), his late wife, from the highest peak in Jotunheim. Cory Barlog directed it, Christopher Judge took over as Kratos, and it won Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2018. With over 23 million copies sold, it is the best-selling God of War game.

1:19 It is also where God of War Laufey begins: the new game opens at Faye's funeral pyre, the first scene of God of War (2018), and PlayStation recommends playing 2018 and Ragnarok first before Laufey comes out on May 20, 2027. The clip is IGN's upload of the Jun 2, 2026 gameplay reveal.

Quick facts

Sources: Metacritic, Steam and HowLongToBeat, Nov 4, 2026; The Hollywood Reporter, Sep 29, 2017; Guinness World Records; PlayStation Blog, Apr 13, 2018.

What is God of War (2018) about?

0:24 Years after the Greek games, Kratos lives in the Norse world with his son. PlayStation calls it a reimagining in which Kratos, now a father, mentors and protects Atreus while trying to control his rage, leaving "the marble of Olympus" for Norse forests, mountains and caves. The journey starts with Faye's death: father and son set out to scatter her ashes from the highest point in Jotunheim, the realm of the giants, and a stranger who cannot be hurt comes to their door. The full plot, with its ending, is on God of War (2018) Story.

How it was made

Barlog was lead animator on God of War (2005) and directed God of War II, then returned to Santa Monica Studio in 2013 to lead the new game. It was shown at E3 in June 2016, when composer Bear McCreary wrote that "God of War will return for Playstation 4" with his score. The 2019 documentary Raising Kratos follows the team through those years.

1:21 The biggest decision was the camera. The whole game plays as one unbroken shot, with no cuts between play and cutscenes. Barlog told The Hollywood Reporter that this meant the actors had to perform scenes together physically on the stage, which was one reason Christopher Judge replaced longtime Kratos actor Terrence C. Carson. Sunny Suljic was cast as Atreus at 9, and Atreus was modeled on him. Game director Bruno Velazquez said in 2026 that the studio used virtual-camera technology from Avatar for the single take in both Norse games.

McCreary kept "the deep choirs, pounding drums, and shrieking brass" of the old games and added instruments and languages from Northern European folk traditions; the soundtrack came out on Apr 13, 2018. More on God of War Music.

How it plays

3:20 The fixed camera of the Greek games is gone: the camera sits over Kratos's right shoulder, controlled with the right stick. His main weapon is the Leviathan Axe, which he can swing up close or throw; it does not come back by itself, so a second button recalls it, hitting enemies on the way back, and without it Kratos fights with his fists and shield. A button has Atreus fire his bow at the target, and his arrows grow from a distraction into real damage as he levels up. The full list of arms is on Weapons.

5:30 Progression runs through armor with enchantments, Runic Attack gems, upgrades to the axe, health and rage, and outfits for Atreus, as Steam's achievements list them. The map is a hub around the Lake of Nine, which Kratos and Atreus cross by boat, with side content: Brok and Sindri's Favors, wayward spirits, Odin's Ravens, treasure maps and Artifacts. The hardest optional fights are nine Valkyries, beaten by 16.8% of Steam players as of Nov 4, 2026; the bosses are on God of War (2018) Bosses.

Realms

The story crosses Midgard, Helheim and Jotunheim, and Muspelheim and Niflheim are optional, with their own languages to learn and the Trials of Muspelheim. Svartalfheim, Asgard and Vanaheim are named but not visited; God of War Ragnarok goes there. Every realm and which game visits it: The Nine Realms.

Release, editions and PC

The PS4 game launched at $59.99, with a $69.99 Digital Deluxe Edition adding the Exile's Guardian shield skin and Death's Vow armor. On Nov 4, 2026 the US PlayStation Store listed it at $9.99, 50% off until Nov 21, 2026, and in PlayStation Plus Extra. It plays on PS5. New Game+ arrived as a free update on Aug 20, 2018, with tougher enemies and new armor; see God of War Difficulty Modes.

1:07 The PC version, made with Jetpack Interactive, came out on Steam on Jan 14, 2022 and on the Epic Games Store, with unlocked frame rates, NVIDIA DLSS and Reflex, and 21:9 ultrawide. Its specs are on God of War PC Requirements.

Reviews

On Nov 4, 2026 it held a Metascore of 94 on PS4 from 118 critics and 93 on PC from 68, with a user score of 9.0, and an OpenCritic Top Critic Average of 94, with 97% of 261 critics recommending it. On Steam, 96% of 61,251 English reviews were positive. Kotaku's reviewer had played about 20 hours of main story with about 20 more to go. More on God of War Reviews.

Sales

It sold over 5 million copies in its first month, 10 million by May 2019 and over 23 million across PS4 and PC by Sep 30, 2022, up from 19.5 million in Aug 2021. Guinness World Records lists it as the best-selling God of War game. See God of War Sales.

Awards

At The Game Awards 2018 it won Game of the Year, Best Game Direction and Best Action/Adventure Game from eight nominations. It took nine D.I.C.E. awards in 2019, Game of the Year among them, and five BAFTAs: Best Game, Audio Achievement, Music, Narrative, and Performer for Jeremy Davies as The Stranger. The full list: God of War Awards.

Frequently asked questions

When did God of War (2018) come out? God of War (2018) came out on PS4 on Apr 20, 2018 and on PC on Jan 14, 2022, on Steam and the Epic Games Store.

Do you need to play the Greek God of War games first? No. God of War (2018) is a fresh start in the Norse realms that explains what it needs to, though it carries Kratos's past from God of War III and the earlier games.

How long is God of War (2018)? HowLongToBeat players report about 20½ hours for the main story, 33 hours with side content and 51 hours for everything, as of Nov 4, 2026.

Who voices Kratos in God of War (2018)? Christopher Judge plays Kratos in God of War (2018), replacing Terrence C. Carson, and Sunny Suljic plays Atreus.

Is God of War (2018) on PS5? Yes: the PS4 version of God of War (2018) plays on PS5, though PlayStation notes some features may be missing.

Should you play God of War (2018) before God of War Laufey? PlayStation says God of War Laufey can be played on its own but recommends God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarok first, since Laufey begins at Faye's funeral in the 2018 game. See What to Play Before Laufey.

Sources

• God of War, Metacritic, read Nov 4, 2026
• God of War, PlayStation
• God of War for PC, PlayStation
• God of War, Steam
• God of War achievements, Steam Community
• God of War, OpenCritic
• God of War (2018), HowLongToBeat
• 'God of War': PS4 Game Hinges on Bond of Its 2 New Actors, The Hollywood Reporter, Sep 29, 2017
• God of War at E3, Bear McCreary, Jun 27, 2016
• How Bear McCreary Composed God of War's Soundtrack, Out Today on Spotify, PlayStation Blog, Apr 13, 2018
• 'God of War's' Bruno Velazquez, 'Mandalorian & Grogu's' Hal Hickel Detail Cinema-Gaming Crossover at View Conference, Variety, Oct 13, 2026
• God of War: The Kotaku Review, Kotaku, Apr 12, 2018
• God of War review, Engadget, Apr 12, 2018
• We Finally Understand The Ending Of God Of War, SVG, Aug 7, 2019
• God of War: New Game+ Launches August 20, PlayStation Blog, Aug 8, 2018
• God of War Sales Top 5 Million in the First Month, IGN, May 25, 2018
• God of War Sales Have Passed 10 Million, IGN, May 21, 2019
• God of War (2018) Has Sold Over 23 Million Units, GamingBolt, Nov 1, 2022
• Best-selling God of War videogame, Guinness World Records
• 2018 winners, The Game Awards
• Complete list of The Game Awards 2018 winners, Shacknews, Dec 7, 2018
• Kratos, God of War slice through competition at 22nd annual DICE Awards, Game Informer, Feb 13, 2019
• Games Awards 2019, BAFTA
• What Happens To Gods When They Die?, Game Informer, Jun 16, 2026
• God of War Laufey, PlayStation
• God of War Review (2018), IGN, Apr 12, 2018 (video)
• God of War Laufey - Gameplay Reveal | State of Play 2026, IGN, Jun 2, 2026 (video)
• God Of War Review, GameSpot, Apr 12, 2018 (video)
• God of War PC - Before You Buy, gameranx, Jan 15, 2022 (video)