Highlights

  • God of War Ragnarok is selling well and continues to be a major money-maker for PlayStation, with over 15 million units sold.
  • The next saga in the God of War franchise has the opportunity to change the narrative and bring something new to the series.
  • After the events of God of War Valhalla, it's possible that Kratos' role in the next saga will focus on peace and uniting the Realms, rather than violence.

Pretty much since its debut all the way back in 2005, the God of War franchise has been a flagship property for PlayStation. For years, God of War enjoyed a close relationship with Sony, with both mainline and spinoff titles continuing to release on the PS2, PS3, and PSP. Though the series went on a short hiatus after the release of 2013's God of War Ascension, it's now back in full-force, once again rising to the very top of Sony's flagship first-party line-up.

Selling over 11 million units in just its first 10 weeks, and over 15 million by the end of 2023, God of War Ragnarok might not have topped the sales of its 2018 predecessor just yet, but it's definitely getting there. It's clear that God of War is still a major money-maker for the PlayStation, and where there's success in the gaming world, some more sequels aren't usually too far behind it. But the God of War franchise is currently at a bit of a narrative crossroads, and the next saga has the opportunity to flip what's come before it on its head.

Kratos and atreus fighting a troll
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Why God of War's Games After Ragnarok Can't Totally Abandon the Norse Saga

God of War may be moving on to a brand new saga, but there's just no feasible way it could completely abandon the Norse saga as it did with the Greek.

God of War's Next Saga Can Cut Against the Grain

God of War Valhalla's Ending Suggests a New Future Is in Store for Kratos

For those who haven't played it, God of War Ragnarok's Valhalla DLC is paramount to Kratos' overall character arc. God of War Valhalla is essentially one big therapy session for Kratos, where he's forced to combat visions and echoes of his past, mostly the events that transpired during the Greek saga. From beheading Helios to sacrificing a slave just to get through a puzzle, Valhalla puts Kratos through the wringer, but it's all for his own good.

After six successive rounds through Valhalla, Kratos is finally deemed worthy to face his ultimate enemy, his younger self. In a beautifully-delivered monologue, Christopher Judge's Kratos states that he still can't forgive himself for his past actions. However, he has come to accept them, having realized that he can learn from those mistakes and take them with him as he attempts to be a better god.

Though Kratos comes to Valhalla for himself, one of the inciting incidents that led to him seeking such drastic self-reflection was an offer from Freya to come and work with her as one of the Nine Realms' new gods. During Kratos' speech to his younger self, he briefly mutters that he no longer needs to be a God of War, but could instead be a God of Hope, and upon returning to the land of the living, he accepts Freya's proposal.

God of War's Next Saga Could Revolve Around Peace

So much of the violence in Kratos' life has been due to circumstance. While the Greek saga saw Kratos go much too far in his quest for revenge, the Norse saga shows that Kratos is trying his best to avoid his past life of violence, using every opportunity he can not to kill and instead find a peaceful solution. After the events of God of War Valhalla, it would make a lot of sense for Kratos' role in the next saga to be completely different, no longer a God of War in the Nine Realms, but maybe a God of Hope, trying to unite the Realms against a common threat and only rising to violence when absolutely necessary.