Many of gaming's most loved characters consistently reinvent themselves in new titles and rejuvenated experiences, yet it might just be the end of the road for one of PlayStation's most iconic franchises if you take the composer's word as gospel.
You don't have to be a diehard gamer to realize that Sony's dominance over the console market in the last decade and beyond was won almost exclusively through the strength of PlayStation's exclusive first-party game lineup.
Xbox reigned supreme for most of the PS3's lifespan, yet the arrival of games like The Last of Us and Uncharted swung many back towards the blue side of things, and that certainly continued in the years following.
One of the biggest success stories of PlayStation's continued investment in their first-party lineup is God of War, as Kratos' story was reimagined from the classic hack and slash action into a narrative driven third-person adventure that received widespread critical acclaim.
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Rebooted in 2018 and then followed up with its sequel Ragnarok in 2022, the God of War series has become a major selling point for the PlayStation brand, yet gamers might be in jeopardy as the series' composer has suggested that Kratos' story might be already be over.
As reported by VideoGamer, God of War composer Bear McCreary was a recent guest on the VGC podcast, where he revealed that he 'feels complete' following the release of Ragnarok, implying that there won't be any follow up games down the line.
"It was quite moving to realize how many people had been involved and that no single person has been involved in all of them in any kind of primary capacity," McCreary explained, referencing the long history of the series after attending the God of War 20th Anniversary Retrospective Gallery.
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"It brings a sort of closure to Kratos' arc, so I feel like my contribution, starting with E3 2016 all the way through to Valhalla, feels complete. I feel complete. I feel like I told a story."
This appears to imply that, at the very least, McCreary won't necessarily be penning music to the series any longer, although comments shortly after cast doubt on anyone else taking his place.
"If there's anything else that needs music moving forward, they've got my number," he explained, when asked whether he'd be willing to continue making music for the series if asked. "Everybody's got my number, I'm here. I'm really proud of what I did."
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There hasn't necessarily been too much noise surrounding any further sequels after Ragnarok's 2022 release, and reports from Eurogamer indicate that Sony Santa Monica - the studio behind God of War - is making their first new IP in over two decades.
While there's no doubt that McCreary's words will be bittersweet for any God of War fan hoping to see Kratos pick up his axe again in the near future, many have already accepted that Ragnarok was the likely end point for this iteration of the series.
"I mean, totally sensible," one Reddit user wrote in response to McCreary's comments. "The Norse games told their own story that Bear rightfully feels concluded. He should feel satisfied."
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Another added that "I love Bear's work on the Norse games, but I'm also very much in favor of switching things up for the next 'Saga'. The Greek and Norse games feel super distinct in terms of gameplay, presentation, tone, etc. I'm hoping for a similar leap from the next game."
While it would be a big shock if we never saw Kratos and the God of War franchise appear on a PlayStation console again, it will likely be a while before he returns, and when he does it'll no doubt be another key reinvention that you won't see coming.