God of War (franchise)

God of War is an action-adventure game franchise created by David Jaffe and developed by Sony's Santa Monica Studio. It began in 2005 on the PlayStation 2 (PS2) video game console and has become a flagship series for PlayStation, consisting of 10 installments across multiple platforms. Based on ancient mythologies, the series' plot follows Kratos, a Spartan warrior who becomes the God of War and comes into conflict with various mythological pantheons. The earlier games in the series are based on Greek mythology and see Kratos follow a path of vengeance against the Olympian gods; the later games are based on Norse mythology and see Kratos on a path of redemption while also introducing his son Atreus as a secondary protagonist, as they come into conflict or interact with various Norse deities and figures.

Santa Monica Studio developed all six main entries, while Ready at Dawn, Javaground/Sony Online Entertainment-Los Angeles (SOE-LA), and Mega Cat Studios developed the four side games. Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) has published all games except the mobile phone installment, which was published by Sony Pictures Digital. The first seven games plus the 2026 title make up the Greek era of the franchise. God of War (2005), God of War II (2007), and God of War III (2010) comprise its main trilogy; the first two were released on the PS2 with the third on the PlayStation 3 (PS3). A prequel, Ascension (2013), was also released for the PS3. Other games include Chains of Olympus (2008) and Ghost of Sparta (2010) for the PlayStation Portable (PSP), and the two-dimensional (2D) side-scroller, Betrayal (2007), for mobile phones that supported the Java Platform, Micro Edition (Java ME). The series returned to the Greek setting with Sons of Sparta (2026), a 2D side-scroller that takes place during Kratos's youth and was released for PlayStation 5 (PS5). The Norse era only comprises two games: God of War (2018) and Ragnarök (2022), the latter of which received an epilogue in the form of an expansion pack titled Valhalla (2023). Both Norse games were released for PlayStation 4 (PS4), with Ragnarök simultaneously released on PS5; both received Windows ports in January 2022 and September 2024, respectively. The 2018 installment was also accompanied by a short prequel story, A Call from the Wilds (2018), a text-based game that was available through Facebook Messenger for a limited time.

Games in the series have been praised as some of the best action games of all time. The series has received numerous awards, including several Game of the Year recognitions for the 2005 and 2018 installments. Some games have also been remastered for newer PlayStation platforms, and a remake of the original trilogy is in development. As of November 2023, the franchise has sold an estimated 66+ million games worldwide, and is PlayStation's most profitable first-party brand. Strong sales and support of the series led to the franchise's expansion into other media, such as three comic book series and three novels. A film adaptation of the original installment had been in development but was ultimately canceled; however, a television series adaptation of the Norse era is in development for Amazon Prime Video. Merchandise includes artwork, clothing, toys, and prop replicas, as well as the games' soundtracks, including a heavy metal album, Blood & Metal (2010), featuring original music by various bands, who were inspired by the Greek era of the series.