Santa Monica Studio’sGod of War Ragnarokis poised to be a huge upcoming title for Sony and PlayStation. The new game is highly anticipated by fans of the series who are curious to see what the next step of Kratos and Atreus' journey is. Few details have been revealed aboutGod of War Ragnarokas of yet, despite it being scheduled for release in 2021. While there is little known about Santa Monica Studio’s nextGod of Wargame, the narrative has some built-in twists and turns that could be influential in the story.
2018’sGod of Wargame was a hit for Sony and Santa Monica Studio. The game sold extremely well and received universal acclaim from critics. The narrative, in particular, was praised for its father-son journey and exploration of a new setting. While the father-son duo’s main quest was resolved by the end of the game, there are several loose threads that the sequel could pull on. Players who have completed the last game might beable to see where the nextGod of War’s story is leading. With the revelations that came to light in 2018’s title, and the presumed premise for the next game, there are multiple narrative curveballs that Santa Monica Studio could explore.
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Loki and the World Serpent
During the endgame of 2018’sGod of War,it was revealed that Atreus is also known as Loki. Kratos is known as Farbauti by the giants, and Atreus' mother Faye is revealed to be Laufey. In Norse mythology, Farbauti and Laufey are the parents of Loki. It seems as thoughGod of WarRagnarokis going to tackle Norse mythology more directly, based on the disclosure of these character’s other names. A readymade narrative twist could involveLoki and his parentage of the world serpent. On the surface, it seems strange that Loki, as he appears in 2018’sGod of War,could be the father of a titan like Jormungandr, butGod of War Ragnarokcould end up addressing it.
One of the most prevalent pieces of speculation from fans is thattime travel could feature inGod of War Ragnarok. While this storytelling device has been used in the series before, it could help explain certain discrepancies between the mythological Ragnarok and what has been set up inGod of War.Player’s have already encountered the world serpent while Atreus/Loki was still a child, which suggests that Loki couldn’t possibly have fathered the massive creature. Whether it’s through the use of time travel or not, fans are eager to see if Santa Monica Studio will pursue this narrative thread and what twists will follow it.
God of War’s Ragnarok Has Some Differences
Based on the events of 2018’sGod of War,there are some differences between themythological apocalypse event andGod of War’s version. Both versions of the event begin with the death of Baldur, which starts a three-year-long period of inclement weather known as Fimbulwinter. After Fimbulwinter, Ragnarok begins, but the start of the apocalypse could likely be very different from the account of it in the Poetic Edda compared toGod of War Ragnarok.
In Norse mythology, Loki is imprisoned for his part in Baldur’s murder and ultimately escapes. InGod of War,Kratos was directly responsible for Baldur’s death.God of Warchanges several aspects of the mythologybut the start of Fimbulwinter and how it could affect Ragnarok is significant. Santa Monica Studio has an opportunity to play around with the beginning of the event and adapt it for theGod of Warfranchise. InGod of War Ragnarok, the gods will likely seek their vengeance against Kratos, and it’ll be interesting for fans to see if it lines up with Loki’s mythological punishment, or if it’s radically different.
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Freya’s Role in God of War Ragnarok
One of the biggest loose ends ishow Freya will figure intoGod of War Ragnarokafter her son Baldur’s brutal death at the hands of Kratos. Throughout the 2018 game, Freya is one of the few allies that Kratos and Atreus can count on for help. This relationship changes by its conclusion after the death of Baldur. Freya tried everything in her power to prevent her son’s death, but ultimately he fell to Kratos and Atreus. Freya’s attitude changed completely, and she swore revenge against the Ghost of Sparta and his son.
Chief among the rumors for the next game is thatFreya could be one of the main villains. This, however, may be difficult for the Vanir goddess, as the potency of her powers has been greatly reduced by Odin after their separation. While it’s shown in the 2018 title she has some of her abilities left, she’s less powerful than she’s traditionally depicted. It is suggested by the end of the game that she’s looking for a way to regain her abilities, which might not be good news for Kratos and his son.
Freya could embark on a journey to regain her powers before she can exact her revenge, though how she will regain them is unclear. Freya isn’t likely to be the only god seeking vengeance against Kratos, as Thor’s cameo appearance in the 2018 game implied. Thor’s sons, Magni and Modi, and his half-brother Baldur fell to Kratos and Atreus and it seemsalmost certain that the god of thunder will seek vengeance. While purely speculative, Thor could forge a temporary alliance with Freya for her to regain her potency and takedown Kratos and his son.
Freya is generally considered to be a survivor of Ragnarok in the mythological tales, so it will be interesting for fans to see where Santa Monica Studio takes her arc. The events of Ragnarok haven’t lined up exactly like the myths inGod of War, so the developer could take Freya’s character in several directions. With all the possible twists lined up, it’s going to be difficult for fans to predict what’s going to happen duringGod of War’s Ragnarok. While it’s currently releasing in 2021, it’spossible thatGod of War Ragnarokcould be delayed. Until official news is released, fans of the series will surely speculate on the many possible directions of the sought-after sequel.
God of War Ragnarokis currently in development and scheduled for a 2021 launch.
