God Of War Ragnarok Could Make Atreus Gay
The former director of the God of War franchise has said he'd be totally fine if Kratos' son, Atreus, was revealed to be gay in official series canon.
17th Dec 2021 14:22
Sony Santa Monica
God Of War Ragnarok Could Make Atreus Gay
The former director of the God of War franchise has said he'd be totally fine if Kratos' son, Atreus, was revealed to be gay in official series canon.
17th Dec 2021 14:22
Sony Santa Monica
Swapping his bow and arrow for the rainbow flag, could God of War Ragnarok really be about to make Atreus gay? While all bets are off when it comes to 2022's action-packed sequel, many are expecting Atreus to find a love interest in the next chapter.
Introduced in 2018's God of War reboot, Atreus was the mentally and physically scarred son of Kratos. With this brilliant father-son bond being formed, it's hard to forget a time that Atreus wasn't by Kratos' side. The game ends with a shocking reveal that Atreus is actually Loki, but are there more twists to come in Ragnarok?
Could Atreus Be Gay In God Of War Ragnarok?
The idea of Kratos' partner in crime being gay first surfaced when someone Tweeted God of War 2018 Game Director Cory Barlog and demanded he doesn't may Atreus gay. Barlog responded with "What about bi?" and led to the comment section being filled with positive and homophobic comments in almost equal measure. Buried among all of this, original GoW Director David Jaffe waded in.
As the debate about Atreus' potential sexuality swirling, Jaffe tweeted, "The franchise is in Cory's hands so that's all him. As for me, I think we need more LGBT characters represented in games.
"While I would not want to retcon Kratos (who-if you really wanna know-PROBABLY f****d anything w/a hole), it'd be very cool of Atreus grew up to be gay".
The issue was also raised in a YouTube video, where Jaffe said, "It's just really interesting that there are people who really seem to have a problem if Atreus is gay".
He continued, "I get that you wouldn't want Kratos to be gay because that feels weird, like 'when did that happen?', it doesn't make sense. But Atreus is a kid. If the new game takes place and Atreus is 20 or whatever, there's nothing in the lore or canon that would say he can't be gay".
Of course, it's no longer up to Jaffe or even Barlog. With the upcoming release of Ragnarok, Barlog has stepped aside for Eric Williams to helm the last chapter of the Norse mythology saga. Jaffe said that although some people claim making Atreus gay would "ruin" God of War, he concluded, "Sometimes I wonder if these people know that about themselves".
Jaffe reminded us all that making a video game character anything other than straight shouldn't be a big deal. So, what's on the way for Atreus?
Will God Of War Give Atreus A Love Interest?
From the first look at Ragnarok, some have already championed a romance between Laya DeLeon Hayes' Angrboda and Atreus. Remembering that Atreus is actually Loki, there's some interesting canon Ragnarok could lean into. Marvel Comics has the long-established fact that Loki is both genderfluid and bisexual - with Lady Loki being a fan-favourite.
Despite the foreshadowing of "Ragnarok" teasing this could be the end of the road, many are expecting an older Atreus to take the reins from his father and lead the franchise into the future. Whether that's as a straight, gay, bi, or any form of LGBTQ+ character, God of War Ragnarok is sure to be one of next year's big winners.
About The Author
Tom Chapman
Tom is Trending News Editor at GGRecon, with an NCTJ qualification in Broadcast Journalism and over seven years of experience writing about film, gaming, and television. With bylines at IGN, Digital Spy, Den of Geek, and more, Tom’s love of horror means he's well-versed in all things Resident Evil, with aspirations to be the next Chris Redfield.
