Being the sequel to one of the highest-rated games of the last decade means there are lots of eyes on the next God of War. After teasing the world with the promise that 'Ragnarok is coming'  last September, Santa Monica Studio has gone virtually radio silent about the Norse Mythology-inspired PS5 exclusive. So much so that fans have been eagerly piecing together every cryptic clue left behind just to figure out what the game might be called.

A lot of the speculation stems from the game's reveal, which appears to have not only been set up to build hype, but also to deliberately create some misdirection as well. The confusion seems to have worked so effectively that even parts of Sony itself aren't clear internally on what the God of War sequel will be called. Following the use of the title God of War: Ragnarok during a Sony investor report, the publisher had to hurriedly come out and state that its use was a mistake, and that no official title has been settled on yet. With such an effort being exerted to squash the Ragnarok subtitle, that begs the inevitable question, what should the next God of War be called instead?

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In some ways, God of War 2 is the most obvious alternate title candidate besides Ragnarok. It has been staring everyone in the face for a while, and is already used in everyday discourse by fans. Labeling the next installment in the franchise 'God of War 2' would have a handful of other marketing benefits. Beyond rolling off the tongue and looking neat on the side of a PS5 game box, adding a number to the title would indicate that the game is a direct sequel to the equally simplistically named God of War. Santa Monica Studio has gone out of its way to make the Norse Mythology-focused chapter of Kratos' life as easy to pick up for newcomers, so this trend would be the most straightforward way of maintaining that continuity.

Much like Kratos repeatedly discovers for himself, it's impossible to ignore the past for too long. It's for this reason that it's unlikely that 'God of War 2' will end up being the game's official title. Santa Monica Studio and Creative Director Cory Barlog released the original God of War 2 on the PS2 in 2007 to a level of widespread critical and commercial applause that would be hard to top. While there's a precedent for franchise reboots to use the same name, much like 2018's God of War did, there are far fewer examples of success when films and other media keep up that pretense any further. Beyond that, revealing such a simple title now would feel anti-climatic considering all of the marketing that's gone into teasing its eventual reveal.

While most entries in the God of War franchise have adopted numerically named sequels, there are a few examples of games that have utilized subtitles instead. Historically, these have tended to be games that have focused more on side stories rather than the main narrative thread, like the two PSP installments, God of War: Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta, as well as the PS3's God of War: Ascension. However, Norse Mythology and the Ancient Nordic languages, in general, are ripe with too many dramatic words to think that Santa Monica Studio will pass up the chance to adopt some of them in its sequel's title.

The full story of Ragnarok, and the steps that must be followed before the apocalypse even occurs, points to a number of events Kratos and Atreus are likely to explore in the sequel before the main showdown. Due to the nature of ancient Nordic society, it should be noted that the story of the Norse Gods isn't as definitively written down as some other cultures and mythologies are. It's widely understood though that before the main blood bath of Ragnarok happens, a prolonged period of three cataclysmic winters needs to precede it. Known as Fimbulwinter in Old Norse, this stage of the apocalypse directly translates into the Great Winter in English. Either of these monikers would fit the bill when it comes to a suitable game title, whilst also providing a looming sense of dread.

After the death of Baldur at the conclusion of 2018's God of War, Fimbulwinter is named dropped and noted to be ominously starting by a few of members of the cast that are in the know. However in the second secret ending set years into the future, Thor arrives to confront Kratos and Atreus for their actions, where it's revealed that the first stage of the apocalypse is already ending. Depending on when the sequel picks up, this could be an appropriate title option. With Ragnarok being such a long and eventful story, it seems unlikely that Santa Monica Studio would be willing to quickly gloss over such an important period of time. The Great Winter is marked by fathers and sons suffering from the total collapse of kinship, which would nicely set up a potential final third Ragnarok concluding installment.

It's no secret that Atreus is set to play an increasingly pivotal role in the next God of War game, based on the fact that the reveal of his Norse name means he's going to be at the very centre of Ragnarok. Even though there's a growing possibility players will get a chance to directly control Atreus, the boy that the 2018 God of War concludes on is still far too young to command an army against Odin. That hints that a prolonged amount of time, or time jump, is going to occur no matter what the sequel is ultimately called.

Before the main events of Ragnarok can play out, Loki is said to be cast in chains by the pantheon of Norse Gods out of retribution for his role in the death of Odin's son, Baldur. Despite having already experienced that later plot point in the last God of War game, there's still admittedly a number of story beats, like Loki building his own family, that need to be explored before apocalyptic events can be put into motion. The hatred and resentment that Atreus could possibly face though due to any imprisonment in the next God of War could be the driving force behind the game's title. Calling the sequel 'God of War: Chains of Asgard', for example, would allow Santa Monica Studio to make direct comparisons between the young god and his father at the same time.

Not only would this title offer a direct parallel with God of War: Chains of Olympus, it would also have deeper narrative significance. Kratos spent much of his earlier existence in servitude and imprisonment to the Greek gods, and ultimately rebelled and hunted them to extinction. As it stands, Atreus is set to experience something hauntingly similar once he breaks out of his potential chains, with a bloody, revenge-fueled date with the forces of Asgard looking like the next God of War's eventual conclusion.

The sequel to God of War is currently in development for the PS4 and PS5.

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