God of War fans are a different breed. When a trailer for God of War Ragnarok was released late last year, one particular Twitter user pointed out an extremely tiny and nearly impossible-to-notice detail on Atreus’ quiver–a carving of what seems to be the boy and his father Kratos on their adventure in the first title. As players prepare to get their hands on the sequel to the 2018 title next month, it’s clear that everyone’s favorite father-son duo has had a little bit of a glow-up. To give a few more details, Santa Monica Studio Art Director Raf Grassetti sat down with PlayStation Blog to discuss the updated costumes–and to give aspiring cosplayers some help.
As previously announced, God of War Ragnarok will take place three years after the events of the first game. The game’s story focuses on Fimbulwinter, a great winter that spans three summers. As it draws to a close, it marks the beginning of the prophesized Ragnarok, or the end of days. This time skip following the first title, albeit rather short, proved to be an interesting challenge for the design team.
“It was amazing to revisit our heroes and design their costumes thinking about what they have been going through since we last saw them,” Grassetti said. “Since we knew they were training on their own and without the help of the Huldra Brothers, we went back to more simple and iconic costumes, from the way they would have made their own armor. You can see that reflected in the way things are stitched, the choice of materials, and being more thoughtful on how they are surviving the extreme weather conditions.”
As Atreus and Kratos embark on their journey through the nine realms to find a way to stop Ragnarok, they also seek answers behind Atreus’ true identity as Loki. This startling revelation was how the first game ended, and fans are excited to see how this realization may impact the character’s confidence and abilities.
“Atreus is a teenager and we wanted to make his outfit an avenue in which he could express himself, especially since he makes a lot of his own clothing. It’s important to us that our character designs reflect the times they are living in, so the use of materials, stitching, and coloring of the costume need to be grounded, but not so much as to be overly limiting,” Grassetti explained. “At this point in his life, Atreus is trying to find out who he is and the color choices play with that theme. The yellow from the Giants is very strong and something we have used since God of War (2018) to hint at what was to come regarding his heritage.”
God of War Ragnarok is scheduled to release worldwide on November 9, 2022, for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.
