God of War Ragnarök
Kratos and Atreus fight to avert the prophesied end of the nine realms.
God of War Ragnarök, a 2022 action-adventure title from Santa Monica Studio and Sony Interactive Entertainment, hit PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on November 9, 2022, making it the series' first cross-generation release. A Windows version followed on September 19, 2024. As the ninth installment in the franchise and tenth chronologically, it directly continues the story of 2018's God of War. Set in a mythical version of ancient Scandinavia and loosely drawing on Norse mythology, the game wraps up the series' Norse arc. The plot centers on Kratos and his now-teenage son, Atreus, as they try to stop Ragnarök—the prophesied apocalyptic event triggered by Kratos killing the Aesir god Baldur in the previous game—from destroying the nine realms.
The gameplay sticks close to the 2018 entry, featuring combo-based combat, puzzles, and role-playing elements. Kratos wields his magical battle axe and double-chained blades, plus a new magical spear. His shield system has been expanded, offering different types with unique offensive and defensive capabilities. Atreus and other characters assist in fights and can be passively directed, but for the first time in the series, Atreus becomes fully controllable during specific story segments.
Originally planned for a 2021 release, the game was delayed partly due to health issues faced by Kratos actor Christopher Judge in August 2019, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on development. A free expansion called Valhalla dropped on December 15, 2023. This roguelite epilogue follows Kratos through trials in Valhalla, where he confronts his past life in Greece.
Ragnarök earned widespread critical praise for its storytelling, characters, visuals, level design, and improvements over its predecessor. Some critics pointed out issues with narrative pacing, certain gameplay mechanics, and overly frequent puzzle hints. It sold 5.1 million units in its first week, setting a record for the fastest-selling first-party launch week in PlayStation history, and had moved over 15 million units by November 2023. At the Game Awards 2022, it led with 11 nominations, including Game of the Year, and won six. It also topped the 26th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards with 12 nominations, taking home seven awards including Adventure Game of the Year.
Quick Facts
- Title
- God of War Ragnarök
- Publisher
- Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Director
- Eric Williams · Cory Barlog
- Producer
- Chad Cox
- Designer
- Jason McDonald
- Programmer
- Josh Hobson
- Artist
- Rafael Grassetti
- Writer
- Matt Sophos · Richard Zangrande Gaubert
- Composer
- Bear McCreary
- Series
- God of War
- Platforms
- PlayStation 4 · PlayStation 5 · Windows
- Released
- PS4, PS5 · November 9, 2022 · Windows · September 19, 2024
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
God of War Ragnarök is set in mythical ancient Scandinavia and continues the story from the 2018 game, where Kratos killed the Aesir god Baldur, setting the eschatological event of Ragnarök in motion. The narrative follows Kratos and his now teenage son Atreus as they strive to prevent the nine realms from being destroyed. The game was originally slated for a 2021 release but was delayed in part due to health problems of Kratos actor Christopher Judge in August 2019, and later the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on development. It was released worldwide on November 9, 2022, for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, marking the first cross-generation release in the series, and later for Windows on September 19, 2024. A free expansion pack, Valhalla, was released on December 15, 2023, featuring roguelite gameplay and serving as an epilogue in which Kratos participates in trials within Valhalla to come to terms with his past life in Greece.
Reader's Guide
God of War Ragnarök received critical acclaim, with praise directed at its storytelling, characters, visuals, level design, and quality of life improvements over its predecessor. Minor criticism focused on narrative pacing, certain gameplay mechanics, and excessive hints during puzzles. The game sold 5.1 million units in its first week, making it the fastest-selling first-party launch week in PlayStation history, and had sold over 15 million units by November 2023. At the Game Awards 2022, it received a leading 11 nominations, including Game of the Year, winning six awards. It received a leading 12 nominations at the 26th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards, winning seven awards including Adventure Game of the Year. It also received a leading 15 nominations at the 19th British Academy Games Awards, the most nominations for any game in the history of the ceremony, from which it won six awards, including the EE Game of the Year Award. The game's gameplay retains the combo-based combat, puzzle, and role-playing elements of the 2018 installment, with additions such as a new magical spear, more versatile shields, and the ability to fully control Atreus in specific story segments. The Valhalla expansion introduced roguelite gameplay as an epilogue to the main story.
Did You Know?
- God of War Ragnarök was the first cross-generation release in the God of War series, launching on both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.
- The game features over 70 accessibility options, with a redesigned UI for more flexibility and readability.
- Atreus is fully controllable in specific story segments, a first for the series outside of Ascensions multiplayer.
- The Draupnir Spear, a new weapon, is infused with wind elemental magic and can create copies of itself that explode on command.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is God of War Ragnarök?
It is a 2022 action-adventure game built by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. As the direct sequel to the 2018 God of War, it serves as the final chapter of the franchise's Norse mythology arc.
What platforms can I play God of War Ragnarök on?
The title launched simultaneously on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 in November 2022, making it the first game in the series to ship across two console generations at once. A Windows PC port followed on September 19, 2024.
Who are the main characters and what is the central conflict?
The story tracks Kratos, the Spartan god of war, and his now-teenage son Atreus as they travel across the nine realms. Their goal is to stop the prophesied Ragnarök, an apocalyptic event that would destroy the Norse world.
How well did God of War Ragnarök perform commercially?
The game sold 5.1 million units during its first week on the market. It is the ninth entry in the God of War franchise overall and the tenth when ordered by in-universe chronology.
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