GAME · 2022 · USA
God of War Ragnarök
- Developer
- Santa Monica Studio, Jetpack Interactive
- Publisher
- Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Platforms
- Microsoft Windows
37 archived facts 7 topics 1 source Last reviewed Sep 2026
16 Facts From the Development of God of War Ragnarök
- #001
During development of God of War (2018), director Cory Barlog confirmed that the 2018 game would not be Kratos's final appearance and that later titles would remain in the Norse setting and feature Atreus.
- #004
God of War Ragnarök was officially announced during the PlayStation 5 Showcase event on September 16, 2020, with a planned 2021 release on the newer console.
- #005
God of War Ragnarök was confirmed to also release on the PlayStation 4, making it the first cross-gen release in the series, after Sony Interactive Entertainment revealed plans to support their previous console until at least 2022.
- #006
The development of God of War Ragnarök was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
- #007
In June 2021, PlayStation Studios head Hermen Hulst confirmed that God of War Ragnarök had been delayed, partly because of the pandemic, citing issues getting access to performance capture and talent.
- #012
God of War Ragnarök was revealed to conclude the Norse era of the series, with Santa Monica deciding to end that era because of the game's size and scale.
- #013
The 2018 installment and God of War Ragnarök each took roughly five years to develop, and the team did not want to spend nearly 15 years telling a single story.
- #014
Lead writer Rich Gaubert said there were pros and cons to either making a trilogy or ending the Norse era at two games, and the developers debated the choice; the final decision to end the era with God of War Ragnarök was left to Barlog, and Williams said the story was not scaled back despite pacing adjustments.
- #015
Contains a major spoiler — show
According to Barlog, three plot points had to be kept in God of War Ragnarök because it closed the Norse saga: Ragnarök occurring, Atreus leaving Kratos at the end, and Brok being killed. Barlog had decided on Brok's death while the 2018 game was in development, describing Brok as the "family dog".
- #017
Contains a major spoiler — show
Narrative director Matt Sophos said that an early idea for God of War Ragnarök had Kratos dying in his first fight with Thor, followed by a 20-year time jump in which Atreus would rescue him from Helheim. Williams rejected it, disliking the idea and not wanting to repeat a plot sequence used in the Greek games.
- #018
The rejected early concept for God of War Ragnarök lacked the emotion and main hook of the final story, and the actual ending better served the developers' aim of showing that prophecy and fate are not predetermined.
- #019
A new cinematic trailer for God of War Ragnarök was unveiled on July 6, 2022, confirming a worldwide release date of November 9, 2022.
- #023
Santa Monica announced on October 7, 2022, that God of War Ragnarök had gone gold.
- #024
Eight additional studios contributed to the development of God of War Ragnarök: PlayStation Studios Creative Arts, Valkyrie Entertainment, Bluepoint Games, Red Hot, SuperAlloy Interactive, Jetpack Interactive, Super Genius, and Original Force.
- #036
After God of War Ragnarök was delayed to 2022, some fans harassed Santa Monica's developers with threatening messages.
- #037
After a rumor that Santa Monica would announce the God of War Ragnarök release date by the end of June 2022 proved false, some developers received explicit images from angry fans trying to force a reveal.
Sources & editorial notes
Sources for the entries on this page
- Wikipedia God of War Ragnarök — Wikipedia
Information from external sources is independently selected, consolidated and edited by Arka Evren. Sources are listed for verification and further reading. Encyclopedia text is used under its licence (CC BY-SA). How we work