It’s March 2018. God of War is releasing in a month, and it’s made some big changes. Not everything is clear yet, but Kratos has a beard, he isn’t so angry anymore, and he has a son, Atreus. They’re living in the Norse world now, and it’s an exciting prospect. Fans want to know how Kratos got there and more info on how he survived the events of God of War 3, with whether it’s a sequel, reboot, or just a general ignoring of the original trilogy also seemingly unclear. Nonetheless, fans are eager to check it out because it’s God of War.

It’s near the end of May 2018. God of War has achieved universal acclaim on all fronts, particularly in the dynamic between Kratos and everyone’s beloved, if somewhat annoying, “BOY.” It somehow made everything that was uncertain make sense, and while Kratos getting to the Norse world is still confusing, it doesn’t matter. The game is great, having received several perfect review scores. Within this first month of release, it has sold over 5 million copies with 5+ million more within a year. Not only is it one of the best-selling games in the series, but it’s one of the best-selling PS4 games because it is God of War.

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It’s 2019, and the PS5 has been announced. Fans know in the pit of their stomach that a God of War game is in development for PS5. Fans don’t know how long it’ll take to create or when they’ll see it, but even without official confirmations, rumors and hype builds because it is God of War.

It’s September 2020, and God of War: Ragnarok has been officially announced at the PS5 unveiling for release in 2021. No one actually knows the name, but the teaser is epic and invites fans to call it that. Eventually, the game is delayed into 2022. Everyone saw it coming, some are upset to the point they harass Santa Monica devs, but by and large, most fans are okay with the wait. The hype remains high and Sony has to manage expectations for several following events, because fans are dying for God of War.

It’s September 9, 2021. The PlayStation showcase airs. Fans quickly spot the God of War teaser in the intro, and the show starts with an epic announcement of Knights of the Old Republic Remake. Sony shows off more games like Spider-Man 2 and Wolverine, and overall, the show is killing it. God of War gets a new trailer, showing off its world, its story, an older Atreus, and more. It’s a rare moment in the industry where hype and wait have all paid off, because this is God of War: Ragnarok.

God of War: Ragnarok – A Controversial Announcement??

Never, in the years since God of War launched in 2018, has it been controversial, despite the changes it has made to Norse mythology. As God of War developer Matt Sophos points out, they made one dwarf blue who talks like a Texan prospector, they make another who is germaphobic, they make Mimir distinctly Scottish, they veer away from the traditional backgrounds for Loki, and more. That’s just the tip of the iceberg for all the things God of War has done not beholden to Norse mythology, and never has this been controversial.

Yet, seemingly overnight, it becomes just that. Suddenly, the trailer for God of War: Ragnarok is somehow controversial. People are complaining about a boat animation in a world where Kratos will indubitably face powerful gods in incredible stage pieces, people are complaining about Thor’s weight despite the fact that it shows an incredibly powerful character (who, let’s not forget, has the reputation of being an insane genocidal maniac), and people are complaining about Angrboda being a young, Black girl hailing from a race of “Jotun,” a giant, a mythological race and one known to have powers of foresight, transformation, and more.

In a world where Loki becomes a six-legged horse and becomes pregnant in mythology, a young, Black girl suddenly doesn’t belong. She’s “race-swapping,” she’s not part of the culture, and she’s out of place, people on the internet claim.

Their justifications for such claims come from places, to them, seemingly born out of reason. To them, a Scandinavian–a person, not a god–has light features, and they may go so far as to likely stereotype Scandinavians as white skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes. They argue that Norse mythology is predominantly white, and thus, no Black person could exist in Norse mythology. They claim it is disrespectful to history and mythology, and that it brings politics into the game. It goes slightly further than that, but the justifications boil down to this young, Black girl not fitting in the God of War universe, they claim.

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God of War: Ragnarok - Breaking Down a False Narrative

Discourse begins. Many explain how these preconceived notions are easily and simply not true. Sure, Scandinavian people tend to be white, but for 300 years, they traveled as Vikings. And, historically, there is evidence of Black Vikings and Vikings going as south as North Africa, making a distinction even for the Sub-Sahara Africa region. Even Assassin’s Creed Valhalla captures this quite well, with North Africa having lore related to the game, and there is some speculation that a potential Muspelheim DLC will correlate with North Africa in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.

Some go further to explain that the Jotun could be anything; there is no clear point of reference for how a member of the Jotun race should look, with everything from Marvel to other video games simply putting their interpretation onto it. Blue skin, large stature—that’s the common approach, but it’s not accurate to something that doesn't actually exist either. So, combine the Viking’s travel and the Jotun’s mystery, and Jotuns can be anything devs want them to be.

Some cut to the chase—that it doesn’t matter what these history and mythologies were when this is a video game interpretation. Others highlight how a Greek man – Kratos – doesn’t belong in Norse mythology either. And there is the contention of disrespect, of believing that Angrboda being Black disrespects history and mythology, but it’s easy to point out that no one ever—and at most a very silent few—ever believed Santa Monica Studio had disrespected its source material with all its changes, until now. The claims that this trailer, which introduces the whole story set-up of God of War: Ragnarok, brings politics into the games either fail to understand politics or only sees skin color as political.

Discourse continues. Suddenly, a photoshopped image of God of War: Ragnarok’s Angrboda being white circulates the internet. No matter what someone believes, Angrboda is already an established character in God of War: Ragnarok, and one that Santa Monica Studio has designed as Black. Someone, so offended by the presence of a young Black lady, took the time out of their day to make this image. It’s proof that no one has listened, and everyone who disliked Angrboda from the get-go has trenched in.

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God of War: Ragnarok's Angrboda Reception Isn't Controversy, It's Racism

No one doubted God of War in 2018, but even if they did, the stats stood out and spoke to them. It was a console seller. No one doubted God of War in 2019, in 2020, or in most of 2021. Santa Monica Studio worked hard to build up so much acclaim, so much trust, and it didn't even have to. It wasn't a conscious decision, just one coming from one of Sony's premier studios. But come September 2021, it would seem as if controversy is all that came out of one trailer. And, in all of this, it’s clear what the true nature of this controversy is; it’s racism 101. To hide disdain behind false flags, to hide hatred behind some false notion of accuracy, and to hide their own sense of superiority behind that of some fake narrative are all things happening here, and all telltale signs of racism at its heart.

They refuse to listen, they refuse to even conceive of allowances (that many would and have argued aren't even necessary) for all the trust Santa Monica Studio has built, and they refuse to change their minds—because the arguments they hear are words that all racists hear, ones they’ve built resistances to and developed abilities to ignore. The simple matter of the fact is this God of War: Ragnarok controversy boils down to a few people so full of hatred demand that a young, Black girl’s very existence be explained.

At the end of the day, nothing anyone could say and nothing Santa Monica Studio could do would have made this reaction anything less than what it was. Echoing Sophos' sentiments once more, "[I]f the color of Angrboda's skin is where you draw the line...it's probably worth some self-examination."

No young, Black girl—Angrboda or otherwise—needs to justify their very existence.

God of War: Ragnarok releases in 2022 for PS4 and PS5.

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