Moving to a Norse-mythology setting was a genius move from Santa Monica Studio when it released God of War in 2018. This was by far the most successful title in the series, and it sold more than 23 million copies. It was also regarded by many as one of the greatest games ever made.
God of War Ragnarök was the follow-up to that legendary title, released in November 2022. This was also met with universal acclaim and sold 11 million copies by February 2023. The big question is where the games will head now that the Norse chapter is over. Could Kratos be set to make a return to ancient Greece?
Ancient Greece Remains a Popular Setting in Gaming
Prior to 2018, the God of War games had always used Greek mythology as their prime source of inspiration. The reason why Santa Monica Studio decided to move to a Norse setting in the late 2010s was because of the era’s resurgence in popular culture at the time. The History Channel’s Vikings played a big part in that, and this sparked a variety of games across different platforms in its wake. God of War capitalized on that.
While Norse mythology has just come to the fore in the mainstream, the Greek era has always been prominent. Indeed, many of the stories from that period have gone on to influence a great portion of modern fiction. It would make sense for God of War to return to Greece to cement its status as one of the best titles based on the era once again.
The prevalence of Greek-themed games in 2023 suggests that players would be happy for God of War to go back to Greece. There are countless titles inspired by the period on various platforms, such as Sparta: War of Empires and Grepolis. The genre is also abundant among real money slots. For example, Shield of Sparta is one of the top-rated games, and the title that uses the Drops & Wins engine is a major draw for players. It seems that there’s a game about ancient Greece everywhere you look. That suggests that the genre will never grow old.
Could God of War Take Place Somewhere Unexpected?
While it may seem like the most logical option for the God of War series to return to ancient Greece in the next installment, there’s a good chance that the developer will surprise gamers with a new and unexpected setting. There have been rumors in the past that the new game could make use of Egyptian or Mayan mythology.
It would probably make more sense for Santa Monica Studio to use ancient Egypt out of these two suggestions, because it is far more famous in popular culture. Aside from ancient Greece, it could be argued that Egypt has been one of the greatest inspirations for mainstream culture over the years. If a God of War game used these themes, many players would already be familiar with them.
Returning to ancient Greece may be the wisest option for the next God of War game, as the setting has already proven to be successful. However, after the popularity of the Norse era of games, Santa Monica Studio may be tempted to explore a brand-new era in its next installment.
