Will God of War Return to Ancient Greece After Ragnarok?

God of War Ragnarök is one of the world’s most anticipated games, and it is exciting to imagine how Santa Monica Studio will manage to better its 2018 predecessor, God of War. That game is regarded as one of the best console offerings ever made, so the new one has the potential to be up there as well.

The new title in the long-running franchise will serve as the conclusion to the Norse era of the series, and there hasn’t yet been an announcement about where the games will head in the future. A smart move would be a return to ancient Greece, as this is another hugely popular era in mainstream entertainment.

God of War Ragnarök Will Be a Finale to the Norse era

At the end of God of War, it was hinted that the apocalypse was on its way. In the new offering, Fimbulwinter is coming to an end, and this will lead to the beginning of Ragnarök. This is a prophesized world-ending event, and it’s up to players to try to put a stop to it. Players will once again take control of Kratos and traverse a massive open world trying to seek ways to stop global extinction. This will involve venturing around nine different realms and encountering various well-known characters from Norse mythology such as Loki and Odin.

Thor is the game’s big bad guy, and players are up against the god of thunder on their journey. He is seeking revenge for the deaths of his half-brother and two sons. Odin and Freya also serve as antagonists after the events of God of War. This sequel had always been planned by the studio, and the previous game set it up well. Players have been looking forward to getting some closure on this part of Kratos’ Norse adventure, and the title is clearly going to be one of the most commercially successful offerings in the series.

Santa Monica Studio has confirmed that Ragnarök will be the end of the Norse era, and the story will offer a conclusion to all the threads that began in God of War. It will be pleasing to see how it all plays out, but there will no doubt be a feeling of emptiness after completion. Knowing that there is no sequel in the pipeline may leave feelings of emptiness in players, akin to how many people felt at the end of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt when Geralt of Rivia’s story was wrapped up definitively.

Why did the Franchise Move Away from Greek Mythology?

The God of War games had always taken place in an ancient Greek setting until the release of God of War in 2018. Opting for a drastic move away from those themes was slightly risky, but it’s clear now that the switch to Norse mythology was a great decision from the God of War creators. The 2018 title sold more than five million copies in its first month and went on to ship more than 23 million. It was the best-selling PlayStation 4 game of all time and the most successful in the God of War series.

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfJ4Km46A-0

Santa Monica Studio successfully managed to pounce on the growing popularity of Norse themes in popular culture and did so at the right time. One of the key reasons why Norse mythology is back in the mainstream has been thanks to the History Channel’s Vikings. The series was an unprecedented success, and some people have even claimed that it was better than Game of Thrones. It was certainly a cultural phenomenon in the same way the HBO series was, as it inspired plenty of related games and spinoffs. Netflix recently released the first offshoot series, Vikings Valhalla, and there are likely to be many more to come.

There are so many Viking-themed games across the entertainment industry that quickly emerged in the wake of the success of Vikings. These include options like Vikings: War of Clans and Vikings: Wolves of Midgard. God of War is one of the most immersive games ever made in a Norse mythology setting, and it was met with a lot of positivity from fans of the genre.

Prime Time to Return to Ancient Greece

All the reasons why the franchise decided to move away from ancient Greece could now influence developers to return to that era. Until recently, Greek mythology had always outshone its Norse counterpart, and the wider gaming industry reflects how it is still incredibly popular among players. Greek-themed games can be found on every platform, and they act as a huge draw for players.

On mobile, there are loads of offerings based on Greek mythology, with titles like the digital collectible card game Immortalis, the simulation city-building game Immortal City, and the RPG option Fury of the Gods. There are also plenty of free casino games based on ancient Greece, including Poseidon Ancient Fortunes Megaways, Rise of Olympus, and Power of Gods: Hades. It’s clear that the epic scale of the stories from the era are well-suited to games like these, and they always stand out among bustling lists thanks to the notoriety of the characters involved.

The success of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey could have also been a catalyst to make Santa Monica Studio start thinking about a return to Greece. The game from Ubisoft was released at the same time as God of War, and it was incredibly successful commercially. Indeed, it sold 10 million copies worldwide within its first two years, highlighting that there was still a huge audience out there for Greek-based console games. At this point, though, Santa Monica Studio already had plans to finish its Norse-era arc, so it hasn’t had a chance to revisit ancient Greece yet.

Now that the Norse era of God of War has come to an end, there will be a lot of speculation about where the franchise could head next. Returning to ancient Greece would be the safe bet, as this era is hugely popular across the gaming industry. However, another option could be to explore ancient Egypt.