God of War Games in Order

0:00 In release order the God of War games are God of War (2005), God of War II (2007), Betrayal (2007), Chains of Olympus (2008), God of War III (2010), Ghost of Sparta (2010), Ascension (2013), God of War (2018), God of War Ragnarok (2022) with its free Valhalla epilogue (2023), and God of War Sons of Sparta (2026). The next is God of War Laufey, which Santa Monica Studio moved on Nov 4, 2026 to May 20, 2027 on PlayStation 5. Story order is different: the Greek games jump back and forth around the first game, and Laufey begins at the very start of God of War (2018), at Faye's funeral pyre. Both lists are below, with the remasters and collections after them.

Quick facts

Sources: Sony Computer Entertainment, Jun 5, 2012; PlayStation Blog, Feb 12, 2026; Game Informer, Nov 4, 2026.

God of War games in release order

Dates are the North American releases. Metascores are Metacritic's, read on Nov 4, 2026; the Norse games show the console score.

Sources: Sony Computer Entertainment, Jun 5, 2012 (dates to 2011); IGN's Betrayal page (its date is IGN's database, not a Sony announcement); PlayStation Blog, Aug 30, 2012; Game Informer, Feb 1, 2018; Steam: God of War and Steam: God of War Ragnarok; PlayStation Blog, Dec 7, 2023; PlayStation Blog, Feb 12, 2026; Metacritic pages for 2005, II, Chains of Olympus, III, Ghost of Sparta, Ascension, 2018, Ragnarok and Sons of Sparta, Nov 4, 2026.

Santa Monica Studio itself counts God of War Ragnarok as "the ninth entry" in the series, but it has not published which games make up that nine, so this viki lists every game and lets the side titles stand as what they are. A Call from the Wilds is a short text adventure played in Messenger, announced on Feb 1, 2018 ahead of the 2018 game, and Valhalla is a free roguelite epilogue for Ragnarok owners, not a separate purchase.

God of War games in story order

0:00 Story order follows Kratos's life, then Faye's. Sources place each Greek game against the first one; two pairs are close enough that no source read here says outright which comes first, and the list notes them.

1. God of War Sons of Sparta: Kratos and his brother Deimos as cadets in Sparta, "Set at the earliest point in the series timeline".
2. God of War: Ascension: 10 years before the original game, after Kratos breaks his blood oath to Ares.
3. Chains of Olympus: during the 10 years of servitude to the gods, before God of War. Ascension's oath-breaking places it at the start of that decade, but neither source states the order of the two.
4. God of War (2005): Kratos kills Ares and takes his throne.
5. Ghost of Sparta: "picks up right at the end of God of War", with Kratos on the throne.
6. God of War: Betrayal: "fills in the gaps between the first two" games. Ghost of Sparta and Betrayal both sit between God of War and God of War II; which is first is not stated.
7. God of War II: picks up not long after the first game's end.
8. God of War III: begins immediately after God of War II and ends the Greek saga.
9. A Call from the Wilds: Atreus before his mother's death, years after Kratos left Greece.
10. God of War (2018) and God of War Laufey together: both open at Faye's funeral pyre. Deborah Ann Woll, who plays Faye, says Laufey will run concurrently to the 2018 game.
11. God of War Ragnarok: Fimbulwinter and Ragnarok, about three years after the 2018 game.
12. Valhalla: "an epilogue to the events" of Ragnarok, Kratos and Mimir alone.

The whole story, era by era, is on God of War Timeline Explained, and Laufey's exact place is argued out on Where Laufey Fits in the God of War Timeline.

Where does God of War Laufey fit?

1:19 At the start of the Norse saga, not after it. The Jun 2, 2026 reveal footage of a pre-release build opens as Faye's body burns on the funeral pyre that opens God of War (2018), and she wakes in The Everywhen, "the afterlife of the gods". Sources disagree a little on how far it runs: Game Informer's reveal story called it "a companion piece to the 2018 God of War" set after its events, while Woll says it runs alongside. Whether it reaches into Ragnarok's years is not known as of Nov 4, 2026. Cory Barlog said at Comic-Con that the next Kratos-led game will "directly follow the events of Laufey"; see Next God of War After Laufey. The clip is IGN's upload of that reveal.

Remasters and collections in order

These repackage earlier games rather than tell new stories. Details are on God of War Collections and Remasters.

Sources: Sony Computer Entertainment, Jun 5, 2012; PlayStation Blog, Aug 6, 2012; PlayStation Blog, Feb 10, 2014; PlayStation Blog, Mar 20, 2015; Metacritic pages for the Collection, Origins Collection and III Remastered, Nov 4, 2026.

Sony's August 2012 post names God of War III and the Origins Collection among God of War Saga's contents; its full list was not in the text read, so the row above names only what it states. The God of War Trilogy Remake, announced on Feb 12, 2026, will remake the first three games; it is "still very early in development" with no developer, platforms or date.

Should I play them in release order or story order?

Release order shows the series as it grew, and story order puts the 2026 prequel first, which is a mild, Metacritic 64 start. Most of the Greek games are also hard to buy today: God of War and God of War II "haven't appeared on a console since the PlayStation 3 era". PlayStation says Laufey can be played without the earlier games but recommends God of War (2018) and Ragnarok first. The three ways to start are weighed on Which God of War to Play First, what each costs and where is on Where to Play Every God of War Game, and the short list for May 2027 is What to Play Before Laufey.

Frequently asked questions

How many God of War games are there? Counting every release, there are 11 God of War games plus the free Valhalla epilogue, from God of War (2005) to God of War Sons of Sparta (2026). God of War Laufey, due May 20, 2027, will be the next, and a remake of the Greek trilogy is announced without a date.

What is the first God of War game? God of War, released for PlayStation 2 on Mar 22, 2005 and directed by David Jaffe at Santa Monica Studio. In story order the first is God of War Sons of Sparta (2026), set in Kratos's youth.

What is the newest God of War game? The newest released God of War game is God of War Sons of Sparta, a 2D PS5 prequel out on Feb 12, 2026. The next one is God of War Laufey, delayed on Nov 4, 2026 to May 20, 2027.

What order do the God of War games go in chronologically? Sons of Sparta, Ascension, Chains of Olympus, God of War (2005), Ghost of Sparta, Betrayal, God of War II and God of War III, then A Call from the Wilds, God of War (2018) alongside God of War Laufey, Ragnarok and Valhalla.

Is God of War (2018) a sequel or a reboot? God of War (2018) is a sequel: Kratos, years after God of War III, lives in the Norse world with his son Atreus. It reworked the camera and combat, which is why it is often called a reboot.

Is God of War Laufey after Ragnarok? No. God of War Laufey begins at Faye's funeral at the start of God of War (2018), and its star says it runs alongside that game. Whether it reaches Ragnarok's years has not been said as of Nov 4, 2026.

Sources

• Award-Winning God of War Franchise Sales Exceed 21 Million Units Worldwide, Sony Computer Entertainment, Jun 5, 2012
• God Of War Laufey Delayed To May, Game Informer (Wesley LeBlanc), Nov 4, 2026
• God of War Greek trilogy remake in development & God of War Sons of Sparta out now, PlayStation Blog (Grace Orlady), Feb 12, 2026
• God of War Sons of Sparta, Mega Cat Studios discuss origins of Kratos and company's name, PlayStation Blog, Feb 16, 2026
• God of War: Ascension, Release Date Confirmed, Special Editions Detailed, PlayStation Blog (Ross Alexander), Aug 30, 2012
• God of War: Ascension Review, GameSpot (Mark Walton), Mar 7, 2013
• God of War: Ghost of Sparta Official Release Date and Pre-Order Pack, PlayStation Blog (Ken Chan), Aug 2, 2010
• God of War: Ghost of Sparta Review, IGN (Nicole Tanner), Oct 25, 2010
• God of War: Betrayal Review, IGN (Levi Buchanan), Jun 27, 2007
• God of War: Betrayal game page, IGN, undated
• God of War II Review, GameSpot (Alex Navarro), Mar 13, 2007
• God of War III Review, GameSpot (Tom Mc Shea), Mar 8, 2010
• Glimpse Into Atreus' Past In God Of War Text Adventure, Game Informer (Joey Thurmond), Feb 1, 2018
• God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla DLC revealed, coming December 12, PlayStation Blog (Grace Orlady), Dec 7, 2023
• What Happens To Gods When They Die?, Game Informer (Kyle Hilliard), Jun 16, 2026
• God Of War Laufey Stars Kratos' Wife Fighting Through The Afterlife Of The Gods, Game Informer (Marcus Stewart), Jun 2, 2026
• Deborah Ann Woll Talks Marvel, Woodcreek and God of War Laufey at GCC 2026, CGMagazine (Dayna Eileen), Jun 21, 2026
• God Of War Laufey Actor Says The Love Between Kratos And Fey Is Like 'A Soul Finding Its Own Reflection In Another', Kotaku (Myles Obenza), Jul 28, 2026
• God of War Laufey, PlayStation, Nov 4, 2026
• Studio Life, Santa Monica Studio, undated
• Never Stop Playing with PlayStation Collections, PlayStation Blog, Aug 6, 2012
• God of War Collection Coming to PS Vita May 6th, PlayStation Blog (Cory Barlog), Feb 10, 2014
• God of War III Remastered Coming to PS4 on July 14th, PlayStation Blog (Cory Barlog), Mar 20, 2015
• God Of War Trilogy Remake Release Date Speculation, Trailers, And Everything Else We Know, GameSpot (Blair Marnell), Mar 30, 2026
• Steam: God of War and Steam: God of War Ragnarök, Steam, Nov 4, 2026
• Metacritic game pages, linked in the tables above, Nov 4, 2026
• Evolution of GOD OF WAR Games 2005-2023, Section Plays, Nov 9, 2022 (video)
• The Complete GOD OF WAR Timeline Explained!, GameSpot, Sep 26, 2022 (video)
• God of War Laufey - Gameplay Reveal | State of Play 2026, IGN, Jun 2, 2026 (video)