Sony has revealed plans to remake the first three God of War games for PlayStation 5, originally released on PS2 and PS3. The announcement, made during a recent State of Play presentation, has sparked discussions about preserving controversial elements like sex minigames amid modern sensibilities. Meanwhile, an upcoming Amazon Prime Video series adapting the Norse-era games gains added context from the remake news.
Sony Interactive Entertainment announced at the end of its State of Play presentation that Santa Monica Studio is developing remakes of the original God of War trilogy for PS5. The games, first released on PS2 and PS3, follow Kratos' violent crusade through the Greek pantheon. This project comes as the series has evolved, with the 2018 God of War and its sequel God of War Ragnarök shifting focus to a more reflective narrative, where Kratos attempts to conceal his past from his son Atreus.
Fans have expressed concerns in comments on the announcement trailer about potential censorship, particularly regarding the trilogy's sex minigames. These sequences involve button-mashing quick-time events during group encounters, portraying sex as a power fantasy. While described as gratuitous and cartoonish, they tie into Kratos' character arc. As IGN's Tim Brinkhof notes, "Both God of War 2 and the trilogy’s final entry make clear what the first game only insinuated: that Kratos’ vengeance is not a crusade for justice, but an excuse to kill and destroy for the sake of killing and destroying." He adds, "In both games, the [sex] minigames help convey his downward spiral into sadism and nihilism."
Details on the remakes remain limited; they could involve graphical updates, revised combat mechanics inspired by the 2018 title, or a full overhaul. The announcement coincides with preparations for an Amazon Prime Video God of War series, adapting the Norse saga from the 2018 game and Ragnarök. Produced by Ronald D. Moore and starring Ryan Hurst as Kratos, filming is set to begin soon in Vancouver, Canada, with a possible release as early as late 2026.
This timing gives the God of War adaptation an edge over Amazon's Fallout series, where fans have sought remakes of older titles like Fallout 3 or New Vegas to complement the show, but none have been officially announced despite insider reports suggesting they are in development.