Summary
At the end ofGod of War Ragnarok, the franchise’s future is left floating in the air. By the time credits roll, Atreus has gone off by himself to find the remaining Giants, Kratos has just discovered that he might one day be revered as a god, and Freya has gone to reestablish order across the Nine Realms, and that’s just the series' core cast. There are plenty of avenues left wide open for potentialGod of Warsequels and spinoffs. But whileGod of War Ragnarok: Valhallamoves the story forward in a surprisingly big way and concludes the Norse saga very neatly, it leaves things even more open than before.
God of War Ragnarok: Valhallais a free DLC roguelike mode that acts as an epilogue toRagnarok’s story, seeing Kratos embark on an arduous journey of self-reflection and self-acceptance in the titular otherworldly realm. Along the way, long-timeGod of Warfans are treated to some great cameos, a ton of references to the Greek saga, and even some potential hints of where the story could go after this, and there’s one character in particular that might be making some overt teases toGod of War’s future.
God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla’s Tyr Could Be Hinting at Future Series Mythologies
God of War Has Already Dabbled in Two Mythologies
For the best part of a decade,theGod of Warfranchisesolely revolved around Greek mythology and the ancient Greek pantheon. From the firstGod of Warall the way up toGod of War: Ascension, players were only encountering Greek enemies, in a variety of Greek locales. From fighting Zeus atop Mount Olympus to battling on the back of the Colossus of Rhodes and diving into the depths of Atlantis. So, naturally, it came as a bit of a surprise when Kratos made the leap to Norse mythology in 2018’sGod of War.
Explained at length during the game, Kratos' shift to the Nine Realms of Norse mythology came about after the former God of War decimated the majority of the Greek pantheon, opened Pandora’s Box, tried to kill himself with the Blade of Olympus, and decided to take himself into exile. Of course, after the death of his new wife Faye, the Nine Realms don’t become all that safe for Kratos and his son Atreus, beginning the events ofGod of War’s Norse saga. Naturally, with the Norse saga coming to a close, many fans expect the nextGod of Warto hop into another mythology once again, with many hoping for an ancient Egypt setting.
Future God of War Games Could See Kratos Travel Between Pantheons
The general premise ofGod of War Ragnarok’s Valhalla DLC is that Kratos has been asked by Freya to be the new God of War for the Nine Realms, and in an attempt to prove himself worthy in his own eyes, he’s ventured to Valhalla. Atthe end of the Valhalla DLC, Kratos accepts Freya’s offer to become the new God of War, though there might be more to that than meets the eye.
At the end of each gauntlet inGod of War Ragnarok: Valhalla, players need to fight Tyr in order to progress. This happens four times in total during the DLC, and each new round sees Tyr using a different weapon based on his “travels,” seemingly to different mythologies. Tyr’s first weapon is a Norse spear and shield, presumably the same one seen in his mural depictions in the base game. Tyr’s second weapon is a Macuahuitl, most commonly associated with the ancient Aztecs. Tyr’s third weapon is a pair of Khopesh, from ancient Egypt. And Try’s final weapon is a Japanese Katana.
While these weapons may only be intended to be fun ways to give the player four different boss fights using the same character, there might be more to this than fans might first think.Tyr’s different weaponshere could be teasing futureGod of Warsettings, or maybe even teasing Kratos' future role in the mythological world, perhaps hinting that he won’t belong to just one pantheon, but all of them.
God of War Ragnarok
WHERE TO PLAY
Embark on an epic and heartfelt journey as Kratos and Atreus struggle with holding on and letting goFrom Santa Monica Studio comes the sequel to the critically acclaimed God of War (2018). Fimbulwinter is well underway. Kratos and Atreus must journey to each of the Nine Realms in search of answers as Asgardian forces prepare for a prophesied battle that will end the world. Along the way they will explore stunning, mythical landscapes, and face fearsome enemies in the form of Norse gods and monsters. The threat of Ragnarök grows ever closer. Kratos and Atreus must choose between their own safety and the safety of the realms.
