After months and months of waiting, Sony and Santa Monica finally revealed the first glimpse of God of War: Ragnarok. Now that Ragnarok is officially the title, fans have a little bit more of an idea of what to expect. While Santa Monica obviously didn’t show everything at the PlayStation Showcase, there are plenty of exciting details to speculate about going forward.
It looks like the relationship between Kratos and Atreus is going to be the center of the story once again, and the trailer revealed that there’s quite a bit of tension there. Atreus feels like he’s not accomplishing his purpose and that he should be out trying to discover who he is and who Loki is, even if it instigates a war with Asgard. One line in particular hints that one of the most prominent God of War fan theories could be true.
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Laufey May Have Wanted to Trigger Ragnarok
There are several bits of evidence pointing to the possibility that Laufey, Kratos’ wife and Atreus’ mother, may have used her husband and son to trigger Ragnarok. There’s quite a bit to unpack here, but the theory does make a lot of sense. Most of God of War is spent trying to fulfill Faye’s dying wish to have her ashes spread at the highest point in all the realms. Simple enough, except the highest point in the realms just happens to be in Jotunheim, the realm of the Frost Giants.
When Kratos and Atreus finally get to Jotunheim at the end of the game, they discover a series of murals that tell the story of their entire journey. They learn that Faye herself was a Frost Giant and that she could see the future. She saw Kratos and Atreus encounter the World Serpent and knew they would kill Baldur; the death of Baldur marks the beginning of Fimbulwinter, which ultimately leads into Ragnarok. None of that ever would have happened if Faye hadn’t requested that Atreus and Kratos take her ashes to Jotunheim. Without that inciting motive, Atreus and Kratos might have just stayed home.
The Frost Giants hate the Aesir, and according to Norse mythology, Loki’s primary role in Ragnarok is to lead the Frost Giants against Asgard. As a Frost Giant, Laufey would have wanted to bring about the end of the Aesir; she might have orchestrated the whole thing through her seemingly harmless dying wish. She knew what Atreus would need to do as Loki, and she knew the steps that needed to be taken to get him there. Of course, God of War will put its own spin on the mythology, but Loki will definitely have a big role to play.
Atreus Speculates About Faye’s Intentions
Atreus is incredibly restless in the new God of War: Ragnarok trailer, and as usual, Kratos tries to convince his son to keep a cool head. When Atreus pushes back, Kratos suggests that his actions might lead to war with Asgard. In response, Atreus argues that war with Asgard may have been exactly what his mother wanted. It seems odd to bring that up if there wasn’t a grain of truth to the theory.
There is no possible way that Faye didn’t know what would happen if she asked Kratos and Atreus to take her ashes to Jotunheim. It was all part of a plan. Maybe that plan was simply to reveal Atreus’ true name to him, but it seems like a weak motivation compared to the annihilation of the Aesir. Atreus is only speculating about what Faye wanted, but it was a memorable moment that probably hints at more. If it wasn’t important, it wouldn’t have been brought up in the first moments of the reveal trailer.
Atreus will be going on a huge journey of self-discovery in God of War: Ragnarok. As he enters his teenage years, he wants to figure out who he really is and where he fits into the world as half-God and half-Frost Giant. He knows that the name Faye wanted to give him, Loki, means something, and he needs to figure out what it is.
His journey will probably take him back to his roots to learn more about Faye, where she came from, and what she wanted for him. Atreus declares confidently at the start of the trailer that his story doesn’t end in hiding in the woods, and he’s right. Kratos doesn't know the full truth of Atreus' identity, but Laufey did. She will likely have a big influence on how Atreus perceives himself and his role in the world.
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God of War: Ragnarok May Reveal More About Laufey
Even though she’s the reason for the whole story, almost nothing is revealed about Laufey in God of War. Players don’t get any insight into Faye's relationship with Kratos and only get hints about the relationship she had with Atreus. She was a nurturing mother and a fierce warrior, but she was also very secretive. Neither Kratos nor Atreus knew about her true identity until after her death.
If Laufey really was trying to trigger Ragnarok and bring about the destruction of the Aesir, it could turn her into something of a villain. It’s possible that she was just using Kratos and Atreus and never felt anything for them—they could have simply been a means to an end. Because so little was revealed about her, the possibilities are endless. What’s certain is that Faye will continue to have a huge influence in God of War: Ragnarok. Laufey is a significant mythological figure, and she’s the backbone of the latest God of War game.
Hopefully, Ragnarok will give more insight into Faye’s thoughts, her motives, and her relationship with her family. If she was trying to start Ragnarok, then her wishes directly contradict Atreus’ and Kratos’ goals in the next game. The trailer indicates that they are determined to stop Ragnarok from happening, which seems to guide them to the Norse god of war, Tyr. They believe that war might be the only way to stop Ragnarok, although the opposite is probably true.
Ragnarok is the Finale of the Norse Chapter
If there’s only one guarantee, it’s that nothing about God of War: Ragnarok will be straightforward. Santa Monica loves its twists and turns, and Ragnarok is sure to be full of them. What's even more telling is that during the post-reveal discussion, Herman Hulst confirmed that Ragnarok would be the grand finale of the franchise's Norse chapter.
That has a ton of implications, but there are a few things key players can gather right away: first, Ragnarok itself will happen and players won’t have to wait another couple of years to experience the most anticipated moments, like Thor fighting the World Serpent. If it’s happening, it’s happening in 2022 (assuming there aren't any more delays). Thankfully, the game is actually about Ragnarok rather than Fimbulwinter as some suggested.
Second, if Santa Monica has any more big reveals up its sleeve regarding the Norse pantheon, they’ll probably be included in Ragnarok rather than the next chapter of the franchise. Most of players’ questions should be answered by the next installment in the God of War series, and hopefully, that includes the full truth about Laufey.
God of War: Ragnarok will release for PS4 and PS5 in 2022.
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