Everything we learned from the new God of War Ragnarok trailer

It’s finally here: On September 9, 2021, Santa Monica Studio unveiled a first look at God of War Ragnarok, and it’s chock full of new details for fans to soak up as they wait in anticipation for the upcoming title’s release.

After initially teasing the next installment of the God of War franchise in late 2020, the minds behind God of War 2018 have cooked up a tantalizing peek into the next game, bringing with it a host of new characters, abilities, and, of course, a new turn in the relationship between Kratos and his son, Boy — er, Atreus.

(Caution: This article contains spoilers!)

Grown-up Atreus

Atreus is back, and it looks like he’s had a growth spurt since we left him in 2018. Judging by the trailer, it seems that he’s intent on learning more about himself as a god — much to his dad’s chagrin — as well as his mysterious moniker, Loki, one of two major plot twists players were hit with at the end of the last game.

Fight with Freyja?

One particular segment of the newest trailer shows Freyja transforming into a hawk before changing back to her old self and preparing to throw hands with Kratos. Considering that we kind of killed her son, Baldur, in the last game, it makes sense that she’s a little bloodthirsty… and a boss battle with the Valkyrie Queen herself is certainly something fans are looking forward to, if it ends up happening.

Last of the giants

As revealed by director Eric Williams — which we’ll get into in a minute — one of the new characters shown at the very end of the trailer is none other than Angrboda, the last of the living giants in the God of War timeline… and, coincidentally, Loki’s mate (and mother of Fenrir, Jormungandr, and Hel) in Norse mythology.

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This gives us a pretty good hint at something that might happen in the new game — but as Williams claimed in a post-broadcast interview, the crew does like to “throw a monkey wrench” into the mythology to fit their narrative.

Tyr

Tyr, the Norse God of War, was a hot topic of conversation in God of War 2018. The architect of Tyr’s Temple, it seems this guy is a bonafide genius with the bravery to match — and in Ragnarok, we finally get to meet the one-handed god.

In the trailer, Kratos approaches Tyr, asking him if he’s willing to aide their cause, which seems to be stopping Ragnarok from happening. Before answering, Tyr stands up from where he’s sitting slouched on the floor… and absolutely dwarfs Kratos in size. It’s unclear if we’ll see a boss battle with this guy or not, but either way, we’re stoked to finally lay eyes on the fabled god of justice.

More abilities for Atreus and Kratos

Fans got a pretty good look into the combat of the upcoming game, and we spotted a few new abilities for both Kratos and Boy in the mix. Atreus had a few summons he could call as backup in 2018, and it looks like this mechanic is remaining in the new one, as well.

Kratos now comes equipped with the Blades of Chaos and the Leviathan axe from the jump, and it looks like his Runic attacks are here to stay… with some potential new variations.

More monsters

A notable complaint surrounding God of War 2018 was the lack of variety in enemies. Santa Monica Studios seems to have heard this loud and clear, and made sure to show off some new monsters to kill come launch — although I hope we still get to see some of our old friends like Brenna Daudi.

Mimir is back

Mimir is back, and, as always, full of witty remarks. It seems that we’ll be taking him on our new journey, as well, as a few clips from the new trailer show him secured to Kratos’s belt, so we can count on more fun stories and banter between characters in this new installment.

Ragnarok is happening

God of War Ragnarok wouldn’t live up to its name if Ragnarok didn’t actually happen — or so says game director Eric Williams. While the game’s plot sees Kratos and Atreus doing everything in their power to stop the apocalyptic battle from taking place, it seems their efforts will be heavily contested… making for a “surprising and inevitable” ending.

New director

As we’ve mentioned a few times in this article, God of War Ragnarok is no longer being headed by the famed Cory Barlog of 2018. Instead, the mantle is being taken up by Eric Williams, who has been involved in every single God of War game in the series.

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The team claims that it’s good to get a fresh pair of chaps in the saddle for every release for a new perspective on the story… as well as giving Barlog some time to rest from the Herculean effort of directing the last game.

Thor and Odin make an appearance

As we saw at the very end of God of War 2018, Thor is definitely making an appearance in Ragnarok, and he’s being voiced by none other than Ryan Hurst. This version of Thor is going to differ hugely from the blonde-haired class clown we’ve seen in Marvel movies, though; instead, Williams claims that God of War’s Thor is a “big, burly, hedonistic man-child” who is much closer to the original Norse mythology.

Joining Thor is his father, Odin, voiced by Richard Schiff — and while precious little information about the AllFather was given, it’s clear that he’s going to be a central figure in the new game.

New and Old Worlds

It looks like we’ll be seeing some familiar terrain as we traverse the nine realms. From the looks of it, players will travel back through the freezing wasteland of Helheim as Fimbulwinter sets upon us, as well as finding more potential spots on the Lake of Nine.

However, some new spots were also teased, including what looks like a port town and an innkeeper with a pet octopus. Could we finally see humans in this game?

These are some of the biggest takeaways from September 9th’s trailer, but there’s plenty more for fans to dissect if they want to watch for themselves. Grab your axes and mark your calendars, as Ragnarok is set to release sometime next year.