You’ll control more than just Kratos in God of War Ragnarok. Like in God of War (2018), Kratos’s son is a major part of the gameplay — Atreus offers lots of combat options for players, and Atreus has been expanded greatly in the sequel. No longer a child struggling to understand his godly power, Atreus is now a match for Kratos.
Beginning the game with all of his skills, Atreus can summon spectral animals to fight or blast enemies without even aiming. If you’re lost and need more pointers explaining how to use Atreus — and how his powers expand in the later sections of the game — check out the full guide below.
Get a refreshed on the story so far with our God of War series retrospective.
How To Use Your Companion In Combat | Atreus Guide
Atreus is Kratos’s son, and his companion in battle — while playing as Kratos, you won’t directly control Atreus, but you can give him commands to help you. There are multiple actions.
- Shoot Arrow: Tap [Square] and Atreus will shoot the nearest enemy.
- Aimed Arrow: Hold [L2] + Tap [Square] to shoot a precise arrow attack.
- Runic Summon: Hold [Square]
- Switch Arrows: Tap [D-Pad Up]
Atreus can equip Runic Summons — these are powerful abilities that summon rampaging spirit animals to help fight. They’re extremely useful for dealing with large groups of enemies. There’s even more to know about Atreus — you can equip unique Bows and Accessories. Unlike Kratos, Atreus can change his weapon. All of Bows for Atreus has a unique function that change how they fire.
- Atreus’s Bows | What Makes Each One Special
- Talon Bow: Default bow. Fires single arrows quickly.
- Jotnar Bow: Fires three arrows in a horizontal spread
- Aesir Bow: Fires three arrows in a burst.
By default, Atreus can equip three accessories and can change these from the Character Menu at any time. Armor and Accessories are found under the Armor Tab.
- How To Change Atreus’s Armor & Accessories:
- Open the Character Menu with the [Touchpad].
- Press [R2] to select the Armor Tab.
- Press [R1] to select Atreus. By default, you will be on Kratos’s menu.
- Select Armor or Accessories. Armor is purely cosmetic.
- Accessories give Atreus buffs and can be upgraded. By default, you’ll have three Accessory slots unlocked.
Later in the game, you’ll gain the ability to directly control Atreus. While playing as Atreus, his controls change slightly. Normally, he plays exactly like Kratos — but he’s much more range-focused. He can guard, parry, evade and even use Bow Abilities which are like Runic Attacks.
- Unique Atreus Abilities | Controlling Atreus Directly
- Switching Arrows: Press [D-Pad Up]. Alternatively, while aiming with [L2] + tap [R1] to fire Sonic Arrows, tap [R2] to fire Sigil Arrows.
- Shoot-Dodge: Tap [Cross] to evade — with Atreus, you can fire your bow while mid-air.
- Bow Ability: Hold [L1] + Tap [R1]
- Runic Summon: Hold [L1] + Tap [R2] — while playing as Atreus you can directly control your Runic Summons.
- Transformation: Press [L3+R3] when your red meter is full. Atreus can transform into a raging wolf. This is his equivalent to Spartan Rage.
There’s more to using companions. Atreus will even unlock his own unique attacks by pressing [Square] — and Atreus isn’t the only companion you’ll join in your adventure. Each story companion has a different ability, but Atreus is one of the most complex.