It has been officially announced that there will be a God of War remake trilogy. It will bring Kratos’ original Greek story from the PlayStation 2 and 3 to newer consoles. Sony’s Santa Monica Studio confirmed the project during a recent State of Play broadcast.
They also shocked everyone by releasing a 2D retro prequel titled God of War: Sons of Sparta. There is no gameplay footage or release date yet for the God of War remake trilogy, which is still in the very early stages of development. But the announcement is the start of a big multi-project effort for the franchise’s 20th birthday.
What the God of War remake trilogy includes
According to IGN coverage of the Sony State of Play, the God of War remake trilogy will encompass the three core Greek-era titles: God of War (2005), God of War II (2007), and God of War III (2010). Original Kratos voice actor TC Carson appeared during the broadcast to confirm the project, suggesting his possible involvement in the new versions.
The developer says the project is still in the “very early stages” of development. The 2009 God of War Collection brought only the first two games to the PlayStation 3, with improved graphics and smoother frame rates. It didn’t change any of the textures or assets. On the other hand, this new project is being sold as a full remake instead of a remaster. Here are some key differences between this re-release and others:
- Complete rebuild rather than upscaled ports.
- Modern gameplay mechanics are expected to address dated elements
- Unified visual presentation across all three games
- Current-generation console development (specific platforms unconfirmed)
The third game in the original trilogy received a remaster for PlayStation 4 in 2015, but the first two games have never undergone a full gameplay revision. The 2009 Collection kept the original PlayStation 2 builds with only a few changes, mostly to the resolution and frame rate.
Retro spin-off launches alongside the announcement
The God of War remake trilogy is still a few years away. Still, Santa Monica Studio worked with indie developer Mega Cat Studios to make God of War: Sons of Sparta, a 2D action-platformer that you can buy now for $30.
According to Kotaku’s report, the game is described as a “passion project” from the retro-focused studio, which continues to develop titles for original SNES and Genesis hardware. The official description states that the game features a canon story set during Kratos’ youth at the Spartan Agoge, where he trains alongside his brother Deimos.
It’s uncommon to announce a remake of a big franchise alongside a lower-priced retro companion title right away. The spin-off doesn’t use the series’s third-person perspective; instead, it uses the look of 16-bit action games. The God of War remake trilogy marks a turning point for the series. In March 2025, the series turned 20. To celebrate, Santa Monica Studio released the free Dark Odyssey Collection update for God of War Ragnarök. This update included black-and-gold cosmetics inspired by God of War II.
The original Greek trilogy and the Norse duology are from different eras and feature distinct design ideas. The 2018 reboot and its 2022 sequel shifted the gameplay from a fixed camera to an over-the-shoulder view, with slower pacing. The 2023 Valhalla DLC for Ragnarök revived Kratos’ Greek heritage by incorporating battle arenas and story callbacks, thereby completing his original story. There are several reasons to go back to the original trilogy now:
- The PlayStation 2 and early PlayStation 3 games are a bit old in some ways. IGN’s 2009 review of the God of War Collection said that the gameplay was still excellent. Still, the pre-rendered cutscenes and in-engine cinematics in standard definition looked very dated, even when upscaled.
- The series is getting bigger. Amazon Prime Video has ordered two seasons of a TV show based on God of War. Frederick E.O. Toye will direct the first two episodes. The show will be based on the story from the 2018 game.
- Anyone of any age can come. There aren’t many ways for younger fans of the series who got into it through the Norse games to play the original trilogy on newer consoles.
Q: When will the new God of War trilogy come out?
There is no set release date. Sony and Santa Monica Studio say the project is still in its early stages, so it probably won’t come out for a few years.
Q: How is this collection different from the God of War Collection for the PS3?
The 2009 Collection ported the original PlayStation 2 code to higher resolution and better frame rates. The new project is being marketed as a full remake, meaning the assets will be rebuilt and the gameplay updated.
Q: What platforms will the remake trilogy be on?
There hasn’t been any confirmation about which platforms will be used. Sony is the publisher of the PlayStation 5 and 6, so they are likely targets since they are still in the early stages of development.
Q: Can you play God of War: Sons of Sparta on PS5?
Yes, you can buy the retro spin-off for $30 on PlayStation platforms today. It is a 2D action-platformer that is not part of the mainline remake project.
Q: Will the remakes change the story that was already there?
There haven’t been any official announcements about changes to the story. The project is being marketed as a remake of the original trilogy instead of a new version.
In Conclusion, Sony’s God of War remake trilogy preserves and modernizes one of gaming’s most influential action franchises. The project is still under production, but its confirmation and Sons of Sparta’s immediate release imply a multi-format plan for the series’ future.
