God of War Music

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.

4:41 Bear McCreary writes God of War's music. He announced in 2016 that he would score the new God of War and has since scored God of War (2018), God of War Ragnarok, Valhalla and God of War Sons of Sparta; PlayStation's page for God of War Laufey, due May 20, 2027, credits "Score: Bear McCreary" too. The Greek games before him are remembered for their brass-and-choir fanfare by Gerard Marino, which McCreary quotes throughout Valhalla. Ragnarok's score won Best Score and Music at The Game Awards 2022.

Quick facts

Composer since 2018	Bear McCreary
Greek-era fanfare	Gerard Marino
Faye's theme	Sung by Eivør Pálsdóttir (2018, Ragnarok)
Ragnarok song	"Blood Upon the Snow", with Hozier
Laufey soundtrack	In the Digital Deluxe Edition ($79.99, as of Nov 4, 2026)
Vinyl	Laced Records collection with a 13-disc box set (Mar 2025)
Big wins	The Game Awards 2022; BAFTA Music 2019 and 2023

Sources: Bear McCreary, May 8, 2018; Bear McCreary, Dec 18, 2022; Bear McCreary, Jul 2, 2024; PlayStation Store; PlayStation Blog, Mar 14, 2025; The Game Awards: 2022; BAFTA: 2019; BAFTA: 2023.

Who composed the God of War soundtrack?

Game	Composer named in the sources used here
God of War (2005) to God of War: Ascension	Gerard Marino wrote the series fanfare; the other Greek-era composers are not confirmed in a source this page can cite
God of War (2018)	Bear McCreary
God of War Ragnarok	Bear McCreary
Valhalla	Bear McCreary, with Sam Ewing and Omer Ben-Zvi
God of War Sons of Sparta	Bear McCreary
God of War Laufey	Bear McCreary

Sources: Bear McCreary, Jul 2, 2024; PlayStation Blog, Apr 13, 2018; PlayStation Blog, Nov 9, 2023; Bear McCreary, Jun 25, 2026; PlayStation: God of War Laufey.

The Greek games

The first game's score mattered to Sony from the start: buyers in 2005 got a free download of the score at Sony Connect, and the game won Original Music Composition at the D.I.C.E. awards in Feb 2006. McCreary calls Marino's theme "iconic". David Jaffe listened to Queen's Flash Gordon soundtrack throughout development of the 2005 game.

God of War (2018)

McCreary kept the classic series' "deep choirs, pounding drums, and shrieking brass" and added instruments and languages from Northern European folk traditions. He considered reusing the old themes and decided "the classic music really did not fit" the new game. The Kratos theme rests on a rising three-note figure; nyckelharpa, Hardanger fiddle and hurdy-gurdy carry the folk sound; the choir sings in Old Norse, translated by Björn Thorarensen and recorded by Icelandic singers, since Icelandic is the closest living language. Faroese singer Eivør Pálsdóttir sang the Mother theme, and the track "Memories of Mother" began as music for Kratos.

The soundtrack came out on PlayStation Music on Spotify on Apr 13, 2018, a week before the game. It won Music at the BAFTA Games Awards 2019 and Original Music Composition at D.I.C.E. 2019; at The Game Awards 2018, Best Score/Music went to Red Dead Redemption 2.

God of War Ragnarok

McCreary worked on Ragnarok from summer 2019 to the end of summer 2022, much of it during the early pandemic lockdown. New themes include Atreus's "A Son's Path" on Nordic folk instruments, with Kratos's theme quoted backward inside it; Angrboda's on dulcimer and Tibetan prayer bowls; and a Ragnarok theme with a male choir in Old Norse. Kratos's theme was revised so fragments of Faye's and Atreus's themes join it, which he calls a "daring move, risking fan ire". Eivør sang Faye's theme again, and Hozier co-wrote "Blood Upon the Snow". McCreary also appears in the game: he voiced and performed Ræb, a dwarf.

The score won Best Score and Music at The Game Awards 2022, Music at BAFTA 2023, and Original Music Composition at D.I.C.E. 2023. The Jotnar Edition included a 7-inch vinyl record.

Valhalla and Sons of Sparta

4:05 McCreary wrote Valhalla's score in four months, against roughly four years on Ragnarok, with Sam Ewing on the combat music that recalls the Greek games and Omer Ben-Zvi on Tyr's theme. He wrote the final scene and credits himself, quoting Marino's fanfare.

9:11 For the 2D Sons of Sparta he combined three sound families: retro console synths, ancient Greek instruments such as aulos and kithara, and orchestra and choir. He wrote a new main theme for young Kratos; the choir sings poems translated into ancient Greek by Armand D'Angour, and Logic co-wrote the credits song "Brotherhood".

God of War Laufey's music

PlayStation's page promises "Bear McCreary's sweeping, atmospheric score". In his Sons of Sparta post, McCreary said Paul Cartwright's electric violin will return in Laufey and that Faye's theme, written for the earlier games, will keep evolving. The Digital Deluxe Edition, $79.99 on the PlayStation Store as of Nov 4, 2026, includes the digital soundtrack; see Laufey Editions and Pre-Order Bonuses. No track list or release date for the album has been announced.

Vinyl and the 20th anniversary

For the series' 20th anniversary in Mar 2025, PlayStation announced a Laced Records vinyl collection that includes a 13-disc box set; see God of War 20th Anniversary.

Frequently asked questions

Who composed the God of War soundtrack? Bear McCreary has composed God of War's music since God of War (2018), including Ragnarok, Valhalla, Sons of Sparta and God of War Laufey. Gerard Marino wrote the fanfare of the Greek God of War games.

Who sings in the God of War soundtrack? Eivør Pálsdóttir sings Faye's theme in God of War (2018) and Ragnarok, Icelandic singers perform the Old Norse choir, and Hozier co-wrote and co-produced "Blood Upon the Snow" for Ragnarok.

Did God of War Ragnarok's soundtrack win awards? Yes. Bear McCreary's God of War Ragnarok score won Best Score and Music at The Game Awards 2022, Music at the BAFTA Games Awards 2023 and Original Music Composition at D.I.C.E. 2023.

Who is composing God of War Laufey's music? Bear McCreary scores God of War Laufey, and its Digital Deluxe Edition includes the digital soundtrack.

Where can I listen to the God of War soundtrack? Bear McCreary's God of War (2018), Ragnarok and Valhalla albums are on Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon, linked from his project page, and a Laced Records vinyl collection came out for the 20th anniversary.