Following the early success of God of War Ragnarok, it was revealed that one of the voice actors accepted a role in the game because of his son. God of War Ragnarok director Eric Williams shared the anecdote in a recent interview, where he gave insight on the game's development.
God of War Ragnarok is the second and final installment in the Norse Era. Following the events of the first game, Kratos and Atreus must traverse through the nine realms to seek out a way to prevent Ragnarok, which is the prophesied end of the world in Norse mythology. Apart from familiar characters from God of War 2018, such as Mimir and Freya, players are also introduced to other gods, like the God of Thunder Thor and the Allfather Odin.
Odin, in particular, was voiced by The West Wing star Richard Schiff. In an interview with Game Informer, Williams said he and his teams wanted the Norse god to be just like Schiff's character Toby Ziegler, so they contacted him. Schiff, who's said to be indifferent about video games, asked his son, Gus, what God of War was when he got the call. Gus told him to just say yes, and later gave him a two-page summary of God of War 2018 to help him understand it better. The next day, Schiff accepted the role, meeting with Williams and touring his office.
Williams called it a "wild moment" because he didn't expect to work with the Hollywood actor for God of War Ragnarok. He recounted that on the first day on set, the crew was equally surprised to see Schiff voicing Odin. The director was thankful to Gus for convincing his dad to join the cast.
God of War Ragnarok has an impressive ensemble of voice actors. Reprising their roles were Christopher Judge as Kratos and Sunny Suljic as Atreus, whose dynamic captured players' hearts since the first game. As for Schiff's performance as Odin, without revealing any spoilers, players have commended him on social media for his "incredible" performance, noting that he should do more video game roles.
It's only been two days since God of War Ragnarok was released, but it seems to have taken over the gaming space as players praise the gameplay on social media. It's currently the highest-rated first-party PS5 game, and, as early as now, it's already in the running for game of the year alongside Elden Ring. Meanwhile, some players also seem to be having a tough time getting their copies of God of War: Ragnarok, but the hype definitely hasn't diminished.
God of War Ragnarok is now available on PS4 and PS5.
Source: Game Informer