God of War director Cory Barlog has his own opinions on an ongoing Twitter debate between two of gaming's most beloved characters: Kratos and Ganondorf. Since the franchise first debuted on the PS2 in 2005, the god-slaying adventures of Kratos have become one of the most iconic properties in gaming and one of Sony's flagship franchises. The release of God of War Ragnarok saw universal acclaim from fans and critics last year with the game nominated as a finalist for Game of the Year in 2022. Now, fans are debating between Kratos and another popular antagonist.
Between 2022 and 2023, two of the most anticipated releases in gaming have been the previously-mentioned God of War Ragnarok and the upcoming The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Both sequels had been heavily teased leading up to their release with Tears of the Kingdom first confirmed to be in development as early as 2018. Each series stands as some of their platform's most prolific adventure games, with God of War focusing more on action while Zelda focuses more on exploration. Naturally, fans have debated between some of the two series' most powerful characters.
God of War: Ragnarok creative director Cory Barlog shared his take on an ongoing debate between God of War's Kratos and Tears of the Kingdom's Ganondorf. The Twitter discussion asks users who would win in a fight between the Sony protagonist and Nintendo antagonist. Barlog humorously claimed to "not know" who either of the characters are, but he sided with "the bad guy" suggesting Ganondorf would win a conflict between the two.
The creative director's comical take about his own franchise's main character comes as Barlog has a rich history with God of War dating back to its earliest days. Cory Barlog first joined Santa Monica Studio as the lead animator for the original God of War before taking over as game director for God of War 2. Barlog has served in several roles throughout his time with the franchise, again working as game director for God of War (2018) and as creative director and producer for Ragnarok. Barlog also acted as cinematics director for Crystal Dynamics' 2013 Tomb Raider reboot.
While the debate between Kratos and Ganondorf will continue, both franchises have cemented themselves as powerhouses of modern gaming. God of War Ragnarok would sell a staggering 5.1 million copies within a week of its launch, being crowned the fastest-selling first-party Sony game. Tears of the Kingdom is expected to perform similarly well for Nintendo, winning Most Anticipated Game at the 2022 Game Awards. Both franchises have left a lasting legacy on their respective platforms with legions of fans jumping to defend their beloved characters.
God of War Ragnarok is available now for PS4 and PS5.