Is there any aspect of Kratos’ design for God of War Ragnarök that you are especially proud of or want players to notice? We wanted to design a character that embodied a thunderstorm, the concept of pure power coupled with a degree of chaotic unpredictability. As the strongest god in the Norse pantheon, we took inspiration from real world strongmen and powerlifters which gave him a solid build while also reflecting the general time period we reference for the game.

Dela Longfish: After the events of the last game, we knew we would be seeing a completely different side of Freya in God of War Ragnarök. To show our appreciation for all the God of War cosplayers who have taken on Kratos and Atreus over the years, we wanted to make their updated guides for God of War Ragnarök even more comprehensive than the ones we did for God of War (2018). There are so many good interpretations for Mjölnir already in pop culture. For us Thor’s hammer, which he always holds in his left hand, was inspired by the angled look of Norse artifacts and amulets of the time. At Santa Monica Studio, one our guiding phrases is “we’re fans of our fans.” Whether it’s a reaction to a trailer, a deep-dive lore video, or cosplay – knowing that there is an audience that appreciates all the details in our work motivates us to create something worthy of God of War fans. When it comes to visual storytelling, what aspects of Kratos’ character are most important to convey through his design and how did you do so?We also know that Freya was once the Valkyrie Queen. With her ability to fight somewhat restored at the beginning of the game as she pursues Kratos and Atreus, are there any particular visual references to her past as a warrior incorporated into her updated look? Enough of the dad, let’s get to the son! Atreus has hit a growth-spurt or five since God of War (2018), he’s obviously had a few birthdays and got some new digs since we last saw him. Can you take us through how that initial design brainstorm for older Atreus went?

While Maul didn't share many details on the collaboration, the official Sony blog posted an article in October detailing updates to its Official God of War Ragnarök Cosplay Guides for Kratos and Atreus. It gave fans a closer look at the pair's armors and featured designs from other cosplayers who portrayed Atreus and Kratos. Interact with other party-goers: Don't be afraid to interact with other party-goers in character. You can intimidate them with your intense gaze or engage them in conversation with your deep voice. Remember to stay in character throughout the entire party. Along with making sure we get the overall look we want for any character we also enjoy layering in small hints and design details. Thor’s goats, Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjostr, make an appearance in the bottom gold carved cap of Thor’s hammer. Keen-eyed players and cosplayers will also notice there are other goat motifs reflected in his design. To discuss the Fimbulwinter-ready looks of our heroes in God of War Ragnarök, Art Director Raf Grassetti walked us through some of the key choices that were made along the way.It’s always interesting seeing what catches fire across the internet. With a character like Thor that has so many great depictions in pop-culture, people grow a special connection to them. So, in that way it’s understandable a discussion is prompted when a new take on that type of character comes out. When Thor’s design was shown after the first God of War Ragnarök trailer, the internet exploded (just a bit) with discussions. Were you expecting our take on Thor to be such a hot topic among gamers?

Some fans will notice elements from Baldur’s costume throughout her designs, such as the Twilight Pendant and the orange warps he wore around his legs that she now wears. These are mementos she carries with her to always remember her son. Thor While we were able to visit Jötunheim at the end of the last game and saw parts of their culture represented through Faye’s art and the triptychs, Angrboda is the first Giant we meet that is actually from Jötunheim and currently calls it home. What were some of the key elements you wanted to include in her design to show visually how the Giants are unique from the Midgardians and Aesir? As one of the last living Giants, she represents that part of Atreus’s heritage which is something no one else can share with him. Not only does she carry with her the knowledge of her people, but she also physically carried individually carved marbles that contained the souls of the Giants. You can see that reflected in the way things are stitched, the choice of materials, and being more thoughtful on how they are surviving the extreme weather conditions. Since God of War Ragnarök is a sequel, we knew we didn’t want to completely change Kratos, a lot of the choices made were to update his look to reflect the new setting. We decided to preserve his right pauldron and keep his iconic tattoos visible.Kratos is so iconic that we needed to make sure we found what made Atreus unique so that he could stand next to the big guy and be recognizable. That’s never an easy task. We ended up focusing on the elements that we felt made his design special from God of War (2018) and built upon those pieces. Our hope is to be able to build that same connection between our characters and gamers. For our interpretation, we wanted a design that fit within the visual language of the world we had established in God of War (2018), while also complimenting the story and gameplay the team had in mind.

Grace Orlady: At the end of the last game, Freya undergoes a traumatic event with the death of her son – changing her from friend to hunter, vowing vengeance on Kratos. How did the team want to go about changing Freya’s visual look to represent her emotional state at the start of God of War Ragnarök? Atreus is a teenager and we wanted to make his outfit an avenue in which he could express himself, especially since he makes a lot of his own clothing. It’s important to us that our character designs reflect the times they are living in, so the use of materials, stitching, and coloring of the costume need to be grounded, but not so much as to be overly limiting. Have fun: Finally, remember to have fun! Halloween parties are meant to be enjoyed, and you can have a blast while embodying the powerful and iconic character of Kratos. Kratos is known for his brutal combat skills and his use of the Blades of Chaos, a pair of chained blades that he wields with deadly accuracy. In God of War Ragnarök, he continues to fight against the enemies that threaten him and his son, including various mythological creatures and gods. At this point in his life, Atreus is trying to find out who he is and the color choices play with that theme. The yellow from the Giants is very strong and something we have used since God of War (2018) to hint at what was to come regarding his heritage.Ibelinn has put together an expert guide on how to plan a cosplay, along with her how-to videos on creating the former Valkyrie Queen – you can see them here. Angrboda – Kizuki Cosplay More than on Kratos, we knew that the training would have a big impact on him, so he needed to have better gear to protect himself. With Atreus, we can also play a bit more with design elements just for visual interest and make him look cool. The Giants were master artisans and craft folks. Even though Angrboda has been surviving on her own for so long, we wanted an elegance and beauty reflected in her design that we don’t find in the inhabitants of other Realms.