God of War (franchise)
Action-adventure franchise based on ancient mythologies.
God of War is an action-adventure series created by David Jaffe and built by Sony's Santa Monica Studio. It launched in 2005 on the PlayStation 2 and has grown into a cornerstone of the PlayStation brand, with eight core titles and several spin-offs released across various platforms, and at least two more on the way. Santa Monica Studio has handled the main entries (plus upcoming titles), while Ready at Dawn, Javaground/Sony Online Entertainment-Los Angeles, and Mega Cat Studios produced side games. Sony Interactive Entertainment published every game except the mobile version, which came from Sony Pictures Digital.
The series draws from ancient mythologies and follows Kratos, a Spartan warrior who becomes the God of War and clashes with different pantheons. The early games, set in Greek mythology, show Kratos on a vengeful rampage against the Olympian gods. Later entries shift to Norse mythology, where Kratos seeks redemption alongside his son Atreus, who becomes a secondary protagonist as they encounter Norse gods and figures. The next game in development is rumored to explore new directions, but no official details have confirmed Laufey—Kratos’s second wife and Atreus’s mother—as a main protagonist, nor the inclusion of Egyptian or Mongolian mythologies.
The Greek era spans the first seven games. The main trilogy includes *God of War* (2005), *God of War II* (2007), and *God of War III* (2010)—the first two on PS2, the third on PS3. A prequel and fourth mainline game, *Ascension* (2013), also hit PS3. Other Greek-era games are *Chains of Olympus* (2008) and *Ghost of Sparta* (2010) for PSP, and the 2D side-scroller *Betrayal* (2007) for Java ME mobile phones. No future Greek-era game has been announced.
The Norse era currently has two games: *God of War* (2018) and *Ragnarök* (2022), the latter with an expansion called *Valhalla* (2023). A third Norse game is in development. Both 2018 and *Ragnarök* launched on PS4, with *Ragnarök* also on PS5; Windows ports arrived in January 2022 and September 2024, respectively. The 2018 game had a short text-based prequel, *A Call from the Wilds* (2018), available through Facebook Messenger for a limited time.
- total_installments
- 8 core titles plus several spin-offs (with at least two further games in development)
Quick Facts
- Title
- God of War
- Genre
- Action-adventure / Hack and slash
- Publisher
- Sony Interactive EntertainmentFormerly Sony Computer Entertainment. Published all installments except Betrayal. / Sony Pictures DigitalPublished Betrayal for mobile phones
- Creator
- David Jaffe
- Artist
- Charlie Wen
- Writer
- Marianne Krawczyk (Greek games) · Matt Sophos (Norse games) · Richard Gaubert (Norse games)
- Platforms
- PlayStation 2 / Java ME / PlayStation Portable / PlayStation 3 / PlayStation Vita / PlayStation 4 / PlayStation 5 / Windows
- First Release Date
- March 22, 2005
- Latest Release Version
- God of War Sons of Sparta
- Latest Release Date
- February 12, 2026
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The series' main plot follows Kratos, a Spartan warrior who becomes the God of War and comes into conflict with various mythological pantheons. The earlier games are based on Greek mythology, referred to as the Greek era, and see Kratos follow a path of vengeance against the Olympian gods. The later games are based on Norse mythology, referred to as the Norse era, and see Kratos on a path of redemption while also introducing his son Atreus as a secondary protagonist. No future game has been officially confirmed to feature Laufey (Faye) as a main protagonist or to introduce Egyptian or Mongolian mythologies.
Reader's Guide
The God of War franchise is significant as PlayStation's most profitable first-party brand, with over 66 million games sold worldwide as of November 2023. The series has been praised as some of the best action games of all time and has received numerous awards, including several Game of the Year recognitions for the 2005 and 2018 installments. Its expansion into other media includes three comic book series, three novels, and a television series adaptation of the Norse era in development for Amazon Prime Video. A film adaptation of the original installment was canceled. The franchise's legacy includes remasters for newer PlayStation platforms and a remake of the original trilogy in development. Merchandise includes artwork, clothing, toys, prop replicas, and soundtracks, including a heavy metal album, Blood & Metal (2010), featuring original music by various bands inspired by the Greek era.
Did You Know?
- The first seven games plus the 2026 title make up the Greek era of the franchise.
- A text-based prequel, A Call from the Wilds (2018), was available through Facebook Messenger for a limited time.
- The mobile phone installment, God of War: Betrayal (2007), was the only game in the series to never receive a PlayStation release.
- The Norse era currently comprises only two games: God of War (2018) and Ragnarök (2022), with an expansion pack titled Valhalla (2023).
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