[UPDATE: During the PS5 event,God of War 2was teased with a 2021 release window and the phrase “Ragnarok is Coming.” Nothing more concrete was revealed. Original story follows.]
Ragnarok is the well-known end of times associated with Norse mythology and a recurring theme in Kratos and Atreus' epic quest for 2018’sGod of War. With the game’s ending foreshadowing the event playing a major role inGod of War 2,it seems clear that it will play a big role in the game, but what does Ragnarok truly mean for theGod of Waruniverse?
God of War’s description of Ragnarok is relatively close to the real-life Norse legends. Historically, Ragnarok represents a cataclysmic event foreseen by the giantess seer Groa. Also known as “The Twilight of the Gods,” Ragnarok is said to culminate with the deaths of most of the Norse Gods, including Odin, Thor, Freya, andLoki (who we know as Atreus), devastating the human world of Midgard with natural disasters and ultimately wiping out all life, allowing the world to be reborn anew.
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The prophecy tells that the first event to signal the coming apocalypse is the death of the god Baldur, the near-immortal son of Freya and brother of Thor, which will bring about a three-year winter known as “Fimbulwinter.” As seen in the climactic moments ofGod of War’sstory, Baldur is turned mortal by accidentally pricking himself on one of Atreus' mistletoe arrowheads, the only thing capable of reversing the curse of immortality placed upon him by his mother. Finally able to die,Kratos slays Baldurto prevent him from strangling Freya. As Baldur dies, the first snowflakes of Fimbulwinter begin to fall, signaling that Ragnarök has begun.
So what does this mean forGod of War 2?The prophecy is vague about when certain predictions will occur, but the epic events depicted are more than enough to get players excited forGod of War 2. Skoll and Hati - two enormous wolves - will devour the sun and moon, the fire giant Surtr will burn Asgard to the ground with a flaming sword, Odin and the wolf Fenrir will slay each other in battle, and Thor will battle Jormungandr, hitting The World Serpent so hard that it gets sent back in time.
The most intriguing of the giants' predictions can be seen on one of the murals that Kratos and Atreus pass upon arriving in Jotunheim at the end ofGod of War. The painting shows Kratos, supposedly dead or dying, as Atreus kneels over his body, the World Serpent flying out of his mouth. While it’s hard to imagine how this is going to play out, the fact that Kratos and Atreushave seen the God of War’s apparent deathis sure to influence their relationship in the sequel.
While the prophecy of Ragnarok does promise a great deal of chaos, it’s important to note that, unlike the murals, the future is not necessarily set in stone. Kratos asserts throughoutGod of Warthat just because something is prophecized does not mean that it is sure to happen. The truth of this is witnessed firsthand when Kratos kills Baldur and brings about Fimbulwinter over one hundred years before the giants predicted. But just because the events of Ragnarok can be sped up, does that mean they can be stopped or changed altogether? The way the first game ends, it sure looks like Gods like Thor and Freyaare eager to speed up Kratos' demise,but for now, fans can only speculate as they await the much anticipated sequel toGod of War.
God of War 2is rumored to be in development.
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