Atreus May Really Be the God of Mischief in 'God of War: Ragnarok'

It's been years since the soft reboot of the PlayStation-exclusive God of War series launched, and now the last game in the series, God of War: Ragnarok, is set to release on Nov. 9. It's one of the highest anticipated games of the year, and players have more than a few questions about the storyline they're hoping will be answered.

Anyone who has been cross-referencing the games with the Norse mythologies that inspired them have likely already noted that Atreus is not connected to the source material. In Greek mythology, Atreus was a king of Mycenae in the Peloponnese, who was eventually exiled from the land after murdering his half brother.

But in the God of War franchise, some are speculating that Atreus is actually Loki, the God of Mischief — but does this theory hold?

Though much of the God of War video game franchise is pulled from Norse mythology, Atreus isn't canonically the son of the God of War — but Atreus may have a different mythological connection.

Towards the end of the first title, players learn that Atreus's mother, Faye, originally named him Loki — as in the God of Mischief. It was Kratos who later gave Atreus the name he's referred to throughout the game, though there's no doubt this little bit of knowledge will become important in Ragnarok.

In Norse mythology, Loki is the son of the Jötunn giant Farbauti and Laufey (also known as Faye) — though obviously in God of War, Kratos is his father. It's also assumed in the video game series that Faye told the Jöntar that Atreus's name was Loki, despite Kratos insisting it's Atreus.

Norse Loki is also behind the death of Baldur, giving Hödr the mistletoe arrow that ultimately kills him, while in the 2018 title he helps his father bring down Freya's son.

In the Father and Son trailer for Ragnarok, the duo face off against Fenrir, who is the son of Loki in Norse mythology. While this seems to imply that the game will deviate from its Norse origins, Jörmungandr is also the offspring of Loki — though the World Serpent appears in the first God of War game.

Mimir explains to Atreus in God of War that this is likely because Jörmungandr and Thor face off during Ragnarok, and the clash ultimately splits the Yggdrasil, sending the serpent back in time.

Yes, this does imply that there could be time travel in God of War: Ragnarok — though that has yet to be confirmed.

While it's not entirely clear how the new game will make the connection between the God of Mischief and the son of Kratos, it seems as though the developers have been setting up for this reveal since the first game. By the closing credits of Ragnarok, it's possible Atreus will be living up to his mother's given name instead.

God of War: Ragnarok is available on PS4 and PS5 on Nov. 9.