An Atreus God of War Game is in a Perfect Position to Re-Use One of Ragnarok's Best Tricks

Highlights

Atreus’ inclusion as a playable character in God of War: Ragnarok added variety to the franchise.
An Atreus-led game could feature Thrud as a companion, offering diverse combat mechanics.
Thrud’s ability to wield Mjolnir would provide a unique gameplay experience in an Atreus game.

God of War: Ragnarok brought the Norse saga to a thrilling climax, as Kratos and Atreus worked with their friends and allies to take down Odin. Throughout the events of Ragnarok, the game expanded upon what made 2018’s soft reboot of the God of War franchise so great, and one of the most surprising changes was the inclusion of Atreus as a playable character.

In 2018’s God of War, players could passively control Atreus as a way to assist Kratos in battle, but the latter was the only actual playable character. However, in Ragnarok, there are sections of the game where Kratos isn’t even around, putting Atreus front and center. As speculation about the next God of War chapter persists, rumors and theories have suggested that an Atreus-led game is on the horizon, and if that happens to be true, the project could repeat Ragnarok‘s dual protagonists in a compelling way.

God of War Creator Criticizes Atreus as ‘Terrible’

God of War series creator offers some harsh criticism of Atreus, characterizing Kratos’s son as an all-around ‘terrible character.’

An Atreus-Led God of War Game Should Revisit Ragnarok’s Dual Protagonists

For many, it was surprising to completely step into the shoes of Atreus, as Kratos has been the face of God of War since the very beginning. Despite the initial surprise, Atreus’ gameplay added some great diversity to the mechanics. If the next God of War puts Atreus in the lead role, then Thrud would be a great companion who could also open the door for diverse combat.

Thrud as Atreus’s Companion in God of War

After getting used to bouncing between two characters in Ragnarok, it might be jarring for the franchise to return to a single playable character. The Valhalla DLC that was released last year only featured Kratos, but that’s completely warranted for an expansion. Now that Ragnarok has established that two playable characters are a great way to offer new combat mechanics without overloading one character, a game focused on Atreus needs to continue this balance, and Thrud is the key to some thrilling gameplay.

At the end of Ragnarok, it seemed like God of War only scratched the surface with Thrud. As Thor’s daughter, she eventually became friends with Atreus, so making her his companion in a new game would make complete sense. However, there is an even more intriguing reason why she would be a good fit for an Atreus game; she can wield Mjolnir. With there only being a select few who are worthy of wielding Mjolnir, Thrud would present the perfect chance to finally fight with the iconic hammer. Following her father’s death at the hands of her grandfather, Odin, Thrud is the only rightful heir to the hammer, and the boisterous and heavy combat Mjolnir promises would be the perfect antithesis to Atreus’ more agile mechanics.

Atreus Taking Up Kratos’ Mantle

There has yet to be any official confirmation of an Atreus-led game, but if it eventually becomes a reality, it will be fascinating to see how much of a change that brings to the franchise. With Kratos and Atreus now being on separate paths, it’s possible for both characters to get their own standalone stories. If this is the case, Atreus will need some strong allies to assist him in his quest to find more Giants, and Thrud definitely has what it takes. Angrboda seems like a given in terms of companionship in an Atreus-based game, but Thrud is more fit to become the muscle of the group.

God of War has followed Kratos since the beginning, so it’s exciting to see the franchise begin to steer towards other paths. Atreus picking up the mantle seems like a likely direction for the franchise, and the young demigod will need reliable and strong allies in order to bring him to the heights of his father.