Quick answer: For story chronology, start with God of War Sons of Sparta, then Ascension, Chains of Olympus, God of War (2005), Ghost of Sparta, God of War II, God of War III, God of War (2018), and God of War Ragnarök. For a first playthrough, release order is easier if you want to experience the story and gameplay in the order audiences originally received them.
The God of War series made its name for its realistic action, interesting tale of revenge, and sentimental value. Kratos’ vengeful adventure, packed with actions and a contemplative journey across the Nordic regions offers ample content to fans for over two decades.
Older versions of this timeline counted ten games, but the franchise has continued to expand. In February 2026, God of War Sons of Sparta launched on PS5 as a canon story set during Kratos' youth, and PlayStation has also announced God of War Laufey with a release date still to be confirmed. Separating story chronology from release order is therefore more useful than relying on a fixed game count.
Because the series mixes prequels, mainline games, older mobile or social spin-offs, DLC, and newer canon entries, this guide separates chronological order from release order. That makes it easier to follow Kratos' story without treating every side entry as equally important to the main narrative.
Which God of War Order Should You Follow?
| Order | Best for | Where to start |
| Chronological (story) order | Following Kratos's life in-universe | God of War Sons of Sparta (2026), now the earliest canon game in the timeline |
| Release order | First-time players who want the story and gameplay to unfold as originally designed | God of War (2005) |
| Modern Norse saga | Players who mainly want Kratos and Atreus's newer storyline | God of War (2018), then Ragnarök and Valhalla |
2026 update: PlayStation confirmed that God of War Sons of Sparta is a canon story set during Kratos's youth. That release changes older chronological lists that previously began with Ascension.
In this article
| If your goal is... | Use this order |
| Follow Kratos's story from earliest events | Chronological order, beginning with Sons of Sparta |
| Experience the franchise as it evolved | Release order, beginning with God of War (2005) |
| Focus only on the main narrative | Prioritize the core console story; treat Betrayal, A Call from the Wilds, and Valhalla as side or supplementary entries |
God of War Timeline Chronology
The chronology below follows Kratos from his earliest playable story through the Greek and Norse eras. Side entries such as Betrayal and A Call from the Wilds are included for completeness, but they should not be confused with the main console storyline.
2026 chronology update: God of War Sons of Sparta is a canon story set during Kratos' youth and Spartan training alongside Deimos. PlayStation describes it as the earliest point in the series timeline and released it on February 12, 2026.
God of War Sons of Sparta
PlayStation describes Sons of Sparta as a canon story about young Kratos and Deimos during Spartan training at the Agoge. That places it before Ascension when the games are arranged by story chronology.
God of War: Ascension
IGN Ratings: 7.8/10
The 2013 release, Ascension, takes you to the early days of Kratos's transformation into a God of War. The game begins with the three Furies torturing Kratos after he breaks his oath to Ares. Ares, the Greek God of War had tricked Kratos into killing his daughter and wife.
Once Kratos finds the opportunity, he breaks free from the imprisonment and kills the first Fury, Megaera. Now, he must seek revenge from the two remaining furies. Ascension ends with Kratos leaving his home behind in Sparta, still dealing with grief.
God of War: Chains of Olympus
IGN Ratings: 9.4/10
After Ascension, Krastos enters into a decade of servitude to the Olympus gods. This is where the 2008 PSP game, the Chains of Olympus, takes place. Once the ten years of enslavement are complete, Kratos will be free from the haunting visions of the past.
The plot starts with Kratos tasked to wipe out the Persian army and kill their king, as he plans to invade Attica. Following this, he witnesses the Sun fall from the sky and must rescue Helios, as ordered by Athena.
Here, he finds Persephone, the game’s main antagonist, giving Kratos a chance to reunite with his deceased daughter. Now, he must choose between personal happiness and saving the world.
God of War
IGN Ratings: 9.8/10
The original God of War, released in 2005, falls third in the chronology. The game begins with Kratos getting weary of the Olympian god's challenges and dealing with grief. He decides to jump off the cliff into the Aegean Sea and we are taken into flashbacks three weeks before.
It is revealed that Kratos was given the final task of killing Ares and saving the city from siege by Athena, as the end of his servitude approaches. The game takes Kratos to hell where he confronts the God of War and completes the mission.
In the present, Athena pulls him from the water and offers him the Olympus throne, marking an end to ten years of ascension. Now. Kratos is the new God of War!
God of War: Ghost of Sparta
IGN Ratings: 9.5/10
The 2010’s PSP release, Ghost of Sparta references a nickname given to Kratos for his pale appearance. He got this white skin from his wife and child’s ashes fastened on his face, following the oracle’s curse.
The game introduces us to Deimos, Kratos’ brother, the only meaningful relationship in his life now. During Kratos’ childhood, Ares enslaves Deimos, after he and Zeus find out about a prophecy of a marked warrior bringing Olympus downfall.
Kratos meets Deimos while traveling to Atlantis, and we see the two brothers reuniting against Thanatos, the Greek God of Death. Though they succeed, it is another unhappy ending.
God of War: Betrayal
IGN Ratings: 9/10
The 2007 release, Betrayal, is a mobile side-scrolling action seeing Kratos as the authoritative figure, using his power of godhood. The gods are not pleased with Kratos’s bloodshed and want to stop his latest conquest of Argos.
Later in the game, Zeus sends a messenger to stop Kratos’s continuous destruction. However, it doesn’t go as anticipated and Kratos responds with violence, killing Ceryx, Hermes’ son. Defying Zeus and the other gods brings forth a subsequent punishment for Kratos.
- Betrayal was launched in 2007, before the popularity of smartphones. Hence, it is not available on modern phones.
God of War 2
IGN Ratings: 9.7/10
God of War 2, launched in 2007, picks up from the Betrayal ending with Kratos leading the Spartan army to conquer Greece. Kratos rejects Athena’s plea for peace and decides to join fellow Spartans for the slaughtering of Rhodes. Zeus asks for Kratos's loyalty, and not finding it leads to the Olympian god killing Kratos.
Meanwhile, Kratos finds the mother of Titans and Earth, a new ally in Gaia. She helps him confront the Sisters of Fate and rewrite his past, preventing his death. Finally, Kratos eliminates the Fates, retrieves the Titans before the Great War destruction, and saves himself. The game ends with Kratos leading the Titans in an offense on Mount Olympus.
God of War 3
IGN Ratings: 9.3/10
The wait is over with the God of War 3, released in 2010. This game is the continuation of the second God of War and starts with Kratos’s assault on Mount Olympus. Throughout the plot, Kratos confronts and kills several Greek Gods and ends up betrayed by the Titans.
While on the killing spree, Kratos meets Pandora, Hephaestus’s daughter, who reminds him of his deceased daughter. Eventually, she also gets killed, so Kratos can conclude his task of killing Zeus.
Following the last showdown with Zeus, Kratos ends his vengeance. Given the world is in ruins, Kratos ends the game by sacrificing himself and releasing hope to mankind.
God of War: A Call from the Wilds
IGN Ratings: 6.3/10
Like the Betrayal, A Call from the Wilds 2018’s release is lost to time and no longer playable. It is a text-based interactive God of War adventure, once accessible to users through Facebook Messenger.
The game introduces a 30-minute story, giving us a background of Areus, Kratos’ son. It explores his relationship with Kratos and Faye, his mother, before her death. Throughout the Call from the Wilds, we see Atreus learning skills like archery, deciphering runes, and more.
Eventually, he explores his divinity without even knowing it. By the end, Atreus is saved by his father, Kratos, from Draugr while calming a dying deer.
- Players who want to experience it can find the Call from the Wilds’ playthroughs on YouTube.
God of War
IGN Ratings: 10/10
The 2018 release, God of War takes us to the Norse Midgard region, where Kratos now lives with his son. Following Faye’s last wish, the father-son duo seek an adventure across the highest peaks to scatter her ashes. Through their journey, they encounter friends and foes, and we see Kratos saving Atreus from Norse gods, Modi, Magni, and Baldur.
Kratos also struggles with fatherhood and decides to reveal his inherent godhood to Atreus. However, he wants him to stay away from the life of vengeance. In the end, Kratos kills Baldur, which turns out to be Freya’s son, so now Freya seeks vengeance for his son.
God of War: Ragnarok
IGN Ratings: 10/10
Ragnarok, released in 2022, is set after three years of the 2018’s God of War. The game extends the journey of Atreus and Kratos as they move towards the doom of Fumbulwinter. While navigating the nine realms and overcoming trials, the duo find new and old adversaries, including Thor and Freya. Freya seeks vengeance for his son, Baldur, while Thor is seeking revenge for their sons, Modi, and Magni.
The adventure pushes Kratos and Atreus toward the events of Ragnarök and closes the central Norse saga arc. It is no longer accurate to call it the end of the franchise: the Valhalla DLC followed in December 2023, Sons of Sparta arrived in 2026, and PlayStation has announced God of War Laufey as a future chapter.
How to Play God of War By the Release Order?
Let’s get in and see how the God of War series was released in order.
- God of War 1, 2005
- God of War 2, 2007
- God of War: Betrayal, 2007
- God of War: Chains of Olympus, 2008
- God of War 3, 2010
- God of War: Ghost of Sparta, 2010
- God of War: Ascension, 2013
- God of War: A Call from the Wilds, 2018
- God of War, 2018
- God of War: Ragnarok, 2022
- God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla, 2023 (DLC)
- God of War Sons of Sparta, 2026
2026 franchise update: Sons of Sparta launched on February 12, 2026. PlayStation has also announced God of War Laufey as the next mainline entry. Because Laufey has not yet been released, it belongs in an upcoming-games note rather than in the completed release-order list.
How to Make a Timeline for Games like God of War
Want to make a similar timeline for your favorite game series? It's easier with EdrawMind templates and design assistance. Here is how it goes.
Before you begin, download and install the EdrawMind desktop version and log into your Wondershare account. Or, access the software using your social media handles.
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Step 1:
First, navigate to the Gallery section from the dashboard and type Game Timeline in the search box. It will display several examples. Choose one that fits your requirements and press Duplicate.
Step 2:
Edit events in your timeline. Switch to the Outline Mode from the top-left corner of the canvas. It will show the entire content in a linear format, so you can easily update it.
Step 3:
Switch back to Mind Map Mode and add images. Navigate to the Insert tab on the top and click Picture.
Step 4:
Once done, add visual details. Visit the right-side customization panel and change the diagram’s layout and theme. Also, double-click the text and change its font size, style, etc from the on-screen prompt.
Step 5:
It’s time to download. Press the Export button from the top-right corner and select the desired format. Or, click Share from the quick-access toolbar to make it accessible for others.
What’s the Next Step?
The God of War timeline is best treated as a living reference rather than a fixed list of ten games. As of August 2026, Sons of Sparta is available, Valhalla is part of the Ragnarök era, and God of War Laufey has been announced with its release date still TBA.
You can also make a timeline using the EdrawMind AI diagram generator. Just enter a written command and let the software do its work. It also features thousands of other diagram templates and design elements.
The tool comes with a free version, so give it a shot and see whether it works for you.
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