Spoilers ahead too God of War Ragnarok
God of War Ragnarok features a particularly explosive finale that builds a story around the fundamentally destructive, apocalyptic event that is its namesake. Even if RagnarökThe ending leaves plenty of loose ends to follow, such as Atreus leaving to find the giants and Kratos remaining as a de facto Norse god of war, most major conflicts within the Norse kingdoms are resolved.
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This raises an obvious question: where does it God of war get out of here? It has long been speculated that the franchise could visit another mythology; The 2018s God of war set a powerful precedent with its pivot from Greek to Norse. If God of War Ragnaroks sequel would take players to yet another mythological backdrop, the series could in theory continue to tell unique stories on the scenes of ancient religion, creating a source of inspiration for Sony's Santa Monica team. And while I can certainly understand the reasoning and appeal behind this idea, I'm not entirely sure it will be the franchise's next move.
Why do people think God of War is going to Egypt?
References to Egypt in God of War
God of war has repeatedly alluded to ancient Egypt, with some of the most prominent nods and easter eggs including:
- God of war (2005): hieroglyphs at the gates of Athens refer to the sun god Aten
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Official God of war romanization: Zeus refers to Ares' involvement in Egypt
- God of war (2018): The Vault of Tire contains several artifacts related to Egyptian mythology, such as a statue of the goddess Hathor
Perhaps more important than any of these references are God of War: Fallen Goda limited comic series released by Dark Horse over the course of 2021. It covers the events between God of War 3 and God of war 2018 and offers the most explicit examples of Egyptian mythology in the series, depicting the Egyptian god Thoth as an ally of Kratos. At least, Fallen God leaving no room for doubt as to the existence of Egyptian mythology within God of war cannon.
Rumors and leaks about God of War switching to an Egyptian setting
There have been many claims about the next God of war the game's setting, some of them more believable than others. But just recently, Insider Gaming's Tom Henderson claimed that the next God of war will include an Egyptian Khopesh. Weapons are quite significant in God of warwhich is evident from Ragnaröks significant Draupnir Spear mission and the almost instant icon status of the Leviathan Axe. It thus follows that the inclusion of Khopesh would not be superficial.
Other notable leaks have pointed to Sony hiring Middle Eastern actors for an “unknown AAA game”. Of course, this mysterious game has been assumed to be next God of war. It should go without saying that these rumors aren't exactly earth-shattering, and what they claim may simply be more allusions to ancient Egypt. In other words, the presence of something like a Khopesh doesn't necessarily mean the franchise is jumping ship to an Egyptian setting.
God of War: Why I'm not buying it
Bringing the god of war to Egypt would be a double-edged sword
A reason I'm skeptical about God of war going to Egypt is Santa Monica Studios track record. Simply put, I think it has something better in mind for the next story. This is not to say that an Egyptian attempt is doomed to be bad, but the change in attitude has far greater consequences than many seem to think.
A pivot into ancient Egypt would effectively reverse God of war to a quasi-anthology series, one where Kratos, Atreus, or both travel to different mythologies with a few games. Not only is this a little weird, but it's also thematically at odds with the series as a whole. Kratos seems to be moving on towards a lifestyle of peace and optimism; then why would he get involved in another pantheon's problem? Even if he were to go to Egypt for altruistic reasons, such as answering a cry for help, his motives would still be questionable.
Kratos is not Superman, flying all over the world to solve everyone's problems. He is a complex character who still has more than enough on his plate in the Nordic worlds. The same goes for Atreus. One could argue that his search for the giants could lead him to Egypt, but this would mean that the giants had some kind of meaningful relationship with this other realm which, while potentially interesting, is a narrative minefield that can be difficult to reconcile with established canon. This also assumes that Atreus will be the next star God of warwhich is far from a given.
There is still more for God of War to explore in the Nordic worlds
One of many reasons why God of warThe 2018 reboot works so well is the context left behind God of War 3. By the end of that game, Kratos has effectively burned every bridge and killed every enemy, having accomplished all of his objectives. There was nothing left for God of war in Greece. But that's not the case in the current chronology, which sees Kratos take on a leadership role with new, stronger allies. Instead of being left in total chaos and destruction like Greece, the Nordic kingdoms are at the dawn of a new era, one that Kratos can help shape. It would be a huge missed opportunity to pivot to another world so soon after this radical character and setting transformation, potentially burning loose ends related to key players like Sindri, Thrud, and Mimir. It would also probably be much cheaper to make a new Norrlander God of war games, so missing out on such opportunities would also have another cost.
While the main Norse saga may have ended with Ragnarok, there is room for an epilogue-like game that returns to the setting and highlights Kratos' attempts to shape the realms. Alternatively, an Atreus-focused game might go to a new setting, but have interludes where players control Kratos in the Nordic countries. Anyway, I don't expect Santa Monica to go all-in on Egypt just yet.
