For Kratos’ story in chronological order, start with God of War Sons of Sparta, then play Ascension, Chains of Olympus, God of War (2005), Ghost of Sparta, God of War II, God of War III, God of War (2018), God of War Ragnarök, and its post-story DLC, Valhalla. If this is your first time with the series, release order is the better choice: it preserves the games’ original reveals and introduces the prequels after players already know Kratos.
God of War games in chronological story order
This order follows the events of Kratos’ life, not the dates the games came out. The Greek-era prequels and interquel fit between earlier saga events; PlayStation’s current franchise page does not publish a complete official chronology for those older games, so treat their placement here as a story-order guide.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
God of War Ragnarök - PlayStation 5 | $37.95 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
God of War Ragnarök | $31.95 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
God of War | $23.45 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
God Of War Ragnarok | Launch Edition | PS5 Game (PlayStation 5) | Brand NEW | PS6 PS5 Upgrade Soon | $46.44 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
PS5 God of War: Ragnarok (Launch Edition) - For Playstation 5 | $49.77 | Buy on Amazon |
- God of War Sons of Sparta — A canon prequel set during Kratos’ youth and Spartan training, with his brother Deimos. PlayStation describes its story as following the brothers’ search for a missing Spartan comrade. It launched on PS5 on February 12, 2026. PlayStation’s franchise page and its launch announcement identify it as a prequel.
- God of War: Ascension — The earliest of the released Greek-era console prequels in this guide, set before the original game.
- God of War: Chains of Olympus — A Greek-era prequel set while Kratos serves the gods.
- God of War (2005) — The original PS2 game and the start of the series’ release history.
- God of War: Ghost of Sparta — A Greek-era interquel that takes place after the first game.
- God of War II — Continues Kratos’ Greek saga after Ghost of Sparta.
- God of War III — Continues the Greek saga after God of War II.
- God of War (2018) — Begins Kratos’ Norse-era story with his son, Atreus.
- God of War Ragnarök — Continues the Norse story of Kratos and Atreus.
- God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla — A DLC story set after Ragnarök, not a standalone main entry.
Which order should you play?
First playthrough: release order
For a first playthrough, release order is the more natural recommendation. The prequels were made after players had already encountered parts of Kratos’ story, and playing them in their original sequence preserves that structure of reveals.
- God of War (2005)
- God of War II
- God of War: Chains of Olympus
- God of War III
- God of War: Ghost of Sparta
- God of War: Ascension
- God of War (2018)
- God of War Ragnarök
- God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla
- God of War Sons of Sparta
This is an editorial recommendation based on the games’ release sequence, not an official PlayStation play-order rule. PlayStation says the series began with God of War in 2005 on PS2; Sons of Sparta is the latest released story game in this list.
#1 Best Overall
- Feel your journey through the Norse realms, made possible by immersive haptic feedback and adaptive trigger functionality.
- Take advantage of multidirectional 3D Audio; hear enemies approaching from any direction. (3D audio with stereo headphones (analog or USB))
- Bask in the beautiful worlds you travel through, brought to life by precise art direction and arresting attention to detail.
- Switch between full 4K resolution at a targeted 30 frames per second, or dynamic resolution upscaled to 4K at a targeted 60fps. (4K resolution requires a compatible 4K TV or display)
Choose story order for a chronological replay
If you already know the major turns of Kratos’ story and want events in life order, use the first list. It puts the youth-era canon prequel first and separates Valhalla as a post-Ragnarök add-on.
What about God of War: Betrayal?
God of War: Betrayal is an older mobile side story commonly placed around the era of the first game. Its exact position is not established by the official pages cited here, so it is not included in the numbered core chronology. Players seeking a broad franchise checklist can note it as a side game rather than treating its placement as settled.
Rank #2
Are all of these main games?
No. The lists mix saga entries, prequels, an interquel, a recent youth-era prequel, and one DLC. Valhalla is part of Ragnarök, while Betrayal is a mobile side story. PlayStation’s franchise page counts 10 main entries, but that publisher count includes God of War Laufey, scheduled for February 16, 2027; it is not a count of the released games in the chronology above. PlayStation’s franchise page identifies Valhalla as free DLC for owners of Ragnarök on PS4 and PS5 and included with the PC purchase.
Original platforms and release years
These are the original platforms and release years listed by PlayStation for the principal saga games. They describe original releases, not a guarantee that a game is currently available or compatible on a particular system.
Recommended Free Tools
Rank #3
| Game | Original platform(s) | Original release |
|---|---|---|
| God of War (2005) | PS2 | 2005 |
| God of War II | PS2 | 2007 |
| God of War: Chains of Olympus | PSP | 2008 |
| God of War III | PS3 | 2010 |
| God of War: Ghost of Sparta | PSP | 2010 |
| God of War: Ascension | PS3 | 2013 |
| God of War (2018) | PS4 | 2018 |
| God of War Ragnarök | PS4, PS5 | 2022 |
PlayStation also lists the 2018 game and Ragnarök for PC. Older PSP and PS3 games may require original hardware or a compatible collection; check the current regional store listing and system compatibility before buying. The platform and release information above is from PlayStation’s franchise page.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How the Greek and Norse sagas connect
The first seven games in the story-order list cover Kratos’ Greek-era story, from his youth in Sons of Sparta through God of War III. God of War (2018) shifts the setting to the Norse world and introduces Atreus as a central character; Ragnarök continues that journey. PlayStation describes the 2018 game and Ragnarök as a new Norse-world journey distinct from the Greek pantheon. In PlayStation’s account, creative director Cory Barlog described Atreus as a reminder to Kratos that there is another way forward. PlayStation’s interview with Barlog discusses that relationship.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Venture through all Nine Realms towards the prophesied battle that will end the world.
- Vanquish Norse gods and monsters alike in fluid, expressive combat.
- Explore in wonder through stunning mythological landscapes.
- Feel your journey through the Norse realms, made possible by immersive haptic feedback and adaptive trigger functionality.
- Take advantage of multidirectional 3D Audio; hear enemies approaching from any direction.
Rank #4
- Those who break fate: Atreus seeks knowledge to help him understand the prophecy of "Loki" and what role he is to play in Ragnarök. Kratos must decide whether he will be chained by the fear of repeating his mistakes or break free of his past to be the father Atreus needs.
- Weapons of war : The Leviathan Axe, Blades of Chaos and Guardian Shield return alongside a host of new abilities for both Kratos and Atreus. As they take on gods and monsters from across the Nine Realms, Kratos's deadly Spartan skills will be tested like never before as he fights to protect his family.
- Explore the realms :Journey to dangerous and stunning landscapes and face a wide variety of enemy creatures, monsters and Norse gods as Kratos and Atreus search for answers and allies.
- Please note that this item is not for sale to people under the age of 18. By placing an order for this product, you declare that you are 18 years of age or older. This item must be used responsibly and appropriately.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
