Spoilers ahead God of War Ragnarok
God of War Ragnarok features a particularly explosive finale that builds the story around the fundamentally destructive, apocalyptic event that is its namesake. Although RagnarokThe ending leaves a lot of loose threads to follow, like Atreus leaving to find the giants and Kratos staying behind as the de facto Nordic God of War, most of the big conflicts in the Nordic realms are resolved.
'
This raises the obvious question: where God of War go from here? It has long been speculated that the franchise might visit a different mythology; 2018 God of War set a strong precedent with its midpoint from Greek to Norse. If God of War RagnarokThe sequel was supposed to introduce players to another mythological background, the series could theoretically continue to tell unique stories on the stages of an ancient religion, which would be a source of inspiration for the Sony Santa Monica team. And while I certainly understand the reasoning and appeal behind the concept, I'm not entirely sure that this will be the next step for the franchise.
Why do people think the God of War is going to Egypt?
References to Egypt in God of War
God of War has made repeated references to ancient Egypt, with some of the more prominent nods and easter eggs including:
- God of War (2005): hieroglyphs at the Gates of Athens refer to the Sun god Aten
-
Official God of War emendation: 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 significant than any of these links God of War: Fallen Goda limited comic book series published by Dark Horse during 2021. It covers the events in between God of War 3 and God of War 2018 and features the most prominent examples of Egyptian mythology in the series, depicting the Egyptian god Thoth as an ally of Kratos. to say the least Fallen God leaves no room for doubt as to the existence of Egyptian mythology within God of War canyon.
Rumors and leaks about God of War moving to an Egyptian setting
A number of claims have been made about others God of War game environments, some more believable than others. But it wasn't until recently that Tom Henderson of Insider Gaming claimed that another God of War introduces the Egyptian Khopesh. Weapons are very important God of Warwhich he testifies to Ragnarokthe Draupnir Spear essential quest and the near-instant status of the Leviathan Ax icon. So it follows that the inclusion of the Khopesh would not be superficial.
Other notable leaks pointed to Sony hiring Middle Eastern actors for an “unknown AAA game.” Naturally, this mystery game is assumed to be next God of War. It should go without saying that these rumors aren't exactly earth-shattering, and what they state could simply be more allusions to ancient Egypt. In other words, the existence of something like Khopesh doesn't necessarily mean the franchise is jumping ship to an Egyptian setting.
God of War: Why I won't buy it
Bringing God of War to Egypt would be a double-edged sword
One reason I'm skeptical God of War Journey to Egypt is a Santa Monica studio record. Simply put, I think he has something better planned for the next story. This is not to say that the Egyptian raid is doomed to fail, but the change in environment has far greater consequences than many seem to realize.
A pivot to ancient Egypt would effectively turn the tables God of War into a quasi-anthology series where Kratos, Atreus, or both travel to different mythologies every few games. Not only is it a little outlandish, but it's also thematically at odds with the series as a whole. Kratos seems to be moving further towards a lifestyle of peace and optimism; then why would he get involved in another pantheon's problems? Even if he were to go to Egypt for altruistic reasons, such as answering a call for help, his motivations would still be questionable.
Kratos is not Superman, he flies around the world to solve everyone's problems. He's a complex character who still has more than enough on his plate in the Nordic realms. The same goes for Atreus. One might argue that his search for the giants could lead him to Egypt, but that would mean the giants had some meaningful relationship to 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 star of the next one God of Warwhich is far from obvious.
There's still plenty to explore in God of War in the Norse realms
One of the many reasons why God of WarThe 2018 reboot works so well that the context left behind God of War 3. By the end of this game, Kratos has effectively burned every bridge and killed every enemy, completing all of his goals. There was nothing left God of War in Greece. But that's not the case in the current chronology, which sees Kratos take a leadership role with new, stronger allies. Instead of being left in utter chaos and ruin like Greece, the Norse realms are at the dawn of a new era that Kratos can help shape. It would be a huge missed opportunity to pivot to another realm so soon after this radical transformation of character and setting, which could burn loose ends related to key players like Sindri, Thrud, and Mimir. Also, it would probably be much cheaper to make another Nora God of War game, so missing such opportunities would come at a different price as well.
While the main Norse saga may have concluded with Ragnarok, there is room for an epilogue-like game that returns to the setting and highlights Kratos' attempts to shape the Realms. Alternatively, a possible Atreus-centric game will switch to a new setting, but feature interludes where players control Kratos in the Nordic lands. Either way, I don't expect Santa Monica to go all-in on Egypt.
