From Rage to Fatherhood: How God of War Reinvented Kratos Twice
Twenty-one years after a furious Spartan first climbed Olympus, God of War has a new Metroidvania, a TV show in production and a 2027 game where Kratos is not the hero. Here is how the series got here.
For most of the 2000s, Kratos was the angriest man in video games. He killed his way through the Greek pantheon, tore the heads off monsters and shouted at the gods. Then, in 2018, he came back with a beard, a son and a quieter voice, and the series became one of the most acclaimed in PlayStation history.
On November 4, 2026, Sony's Santa Monica Studio confirmed that the next chapter, God of War Laufey, starring Kratos' late wife Faye, has moved from February 16 to May 20, 2027 on PS5. Its long road started 21 years ago.
The Greek saga
The original God of War launched on the PlayStation 2 in North America on March 22, 2005. It was created and directed by David Jaffe at Sony's Santa Monica studio, and it mixed fast combo-based combat, giant set pieces and Greek myth told with unusual brutality.
The sequels came quickly. God of War II (March 13, 2007) was still on PS2, with Jaffe moving up to creative director. A PSP game, Chains of Olympus, followed on March 4, 2008. God of War III (March 16, 2010) brought the Greek story to its violent end on PS3, and the prequel Ascension (March 12, 2013) added multiplayer.
By then, the formula was starting to feel tired. Kratos had killed nearly everyone there was to kill, and the series needed somewhere new to go.
2018: a new world, a new camera
The answer was Norse mythology. God of War, released worldwide on April 20, 2018 for PS4, was directed by Cory Barlog, who had directed God of War II. It moved Kratos to the cold forests of Midgard and gave him a son, Atreus, who travels with him throughout.
Everything changed. The fixed, distant camera of the Greek games was replaced by a close over-the-shoulder view, which made fights heavier and more personal. The story was about grief and parenthood rather than revenge. Kratos, once a figure of pure rage, became a tired father trying to teach his child not to repeat his mistakes.
It was a huge critical and commercial success, and it made the series feel new for a generation that had never played the PS2 games.
Ragnarok and beyond
God of War Ragnarok completed the Norse story on November 9, 2022 for PS4 and PS5. A year later, Santa Monica released Valhalla on December 12, 2023 as a free epilogue built around roguelike runs, and both games came to PC on September 19, 2024.
By November 2023, the series had sold an estimated 66 million games worldwide.
2026 has been the busiest year in a while. God of War: Sons of Sparta, a 2D Metroidvania prequel developed by Mega Cat Studios with Santa Monica, launched on PS5 on February 12, 2026. An Amazon Prime Video series adapting the Norse era, with Ronald D. Moore as showrunner, entered production on February 27, 2026. And then there is Laufey.
Why it matters
God of War is the clearest example of a big franchise saving itself by changing its tone. The 2018 reboot showed that a series known for violence could tell an emotional story without losing its spectacle, and its approach influenced a wave of more personal, character-driven blockbusters.
WGC's take: giving the next game to Faye is a bigger risk than changing the camera. But this team has already shown it knows when to throw a formula away, and the May 2027 delay suggests it is taking the time to get it right.
What to play next: God of War (2018) on PS5 or PC is the essential starting point, followed by Ragnarok. For something lighter while you wait for Laufey, Sons of Sparta shows a young Kratos in 2D. And for the wider 2027 schedule, see our AAA release calendar.