Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
  • home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • View Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
Trending
  • Pokemon Winds and Waves
  • New Games for 2026
  • GamesRadar+ Replay
  • Mario Day deals
Don't miss these
Atsu looks out across the surroundings of Mount Yotei in Ghost of Yotei
Open World Games Ghost of Yotei almost had Breath of the Wild's rock climbing, but found it's not "a core aspect of being a ronin"
Kratos approaches Aphrodite's bedchamber in God of War 3
God of War "The God of War sex mini-games were designed by women," which is why Aphrodite's bed looks "like a labia"
Nintendo
Games Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto saw games in the '80s becoming like "pornography"
Games like God of War Ragnarok: Kratos fighting a giant monster on a mountain top.
God of War 10 Games like God of War Ragnarok you should play next
Key art for Control Resonant showing Dylan with The Aberrant in its axe form standing on a ruined taxi as he faces shadowy figures across a twisted Manhattan
Action RPGs Control Resonant trades shooting for a shapeshifting sword because "melee is cool", its creative director tells me
Helldivers 2
Co-op Games Helldivers 2 support agent says "there's no balance team" at Arrowhead because "it's all a team effort"
Key art for God of War Sons of Sparta showing Kratos and Deimos battling a minotaur and other mythological foes with spear and shield
God of War God of War Sons of Sparta review: "Retro-style Metroidvania Kratos struggles to stand out"
God of War Ragnarok
Fantasy Shows Everything we know about Amazon's God of War TV show, including the Kratos casting
Arc Raiders character holding golden sledgehammer on dark blue starry background
Third Person Shooters Arc Raiders lead says a "prominent professor in neurology" encouraged him to submit the extraction shooter to science
Ryan Hurst as Kratos and Callum Vinson as Atreus holding a bow in God of War
Live Action Shows God of War game creator doesn't hold back, says Prime Video show first look is "terrible"
Ghost of Yotei screenshot of Atsu with her arms raised as she wields a katana
Open World Games I wish I'd learned to read Ghost of Yotei's open world before I got lost in it
Atreus and Angrboda sit next to one another in a forest in God of War Ragnarok
God of War Egyptian God of War rumors rekindled as dataminer seemingly uncovers cut Ragnarok dialogue
Ryan Hurst's Kratos crouching near Atreus (Callum Vinson) in first look at God of War series
Drama Shows God of War's Ryan Hurst tells everyone "not to believe everything they see on the internet" after Kratos first look
Ryan Hurst opposite a render of Kratos from God of War
Live Action Shows God of War first look reveals Kratos and Atreus, but it might not be enough to silence the doubters
Arc Raiders best weapons
Third Person Shooters "Will this blow up the server?": Arc Raiders players are so good at killing Arc that Embark eyes ways to "escalate" PvE
  1. Games
  2. Action
  3. God of War
  4. God Of War

God of War dev reveals that Kratos' axe grows bigger when it's in his hand

News
By Jordan Gerblick published 21 August 2021

Huh...

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

God of War
(Image credit: Sony Santa Monica)
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Get the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Want to add more newsletters?

GamesRadar+

Every Friday

GamesRadar+

Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.

GTA 6 O'clock

Every Thursday

GTA 6 O'clock

Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.

Knowledge

Every Friday

Knowledge

From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.

The Setup

Every Thursday

The Setup

Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.

Switch 2 Spotlight

Every Wednesday

Switch 2 Spotlight

Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.

The Watchlist

Every Saturday

The Watchlist

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.

SFX

Once a month

SFX

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
Subscribe to our newsletter

An animator on 2018's God of War has revealed a curious - intimate, even - little detail about everyone's favorite tatted deity and his favorite tool: Kratos' axe gets about 20% bigger when it's in his hand, and we are all full-grown adults who find nothing funny about that at all.

Seriously though, now that I've satisfied my need to make stupid jokes at even the weakest opportunity, this is a cool insight into how game developers tweak the rules of their worlds to be more appealing to the eye. PlayStation Studios animator Robert Morrison took to Twitter to share what he almost certainly never expected to be twisted for our perverted amusement.

Fun lil dev fact. Kratos’ axe is a different scale when it’s in his hand than when it’s on his back. 🤓 https://t.co/5jm3T5eRnlAugust 20, 2021

In a private message, Morrison explained to me that developers use tricks like these "usually to give the best visual presentation for any given camera view or scenario. Helps to 'frame the shot' if you will." It's possible that other assets in the game were tweaked in a similar way for perspective, like Kratos' blades for example, but Morrison isn't 100% sure.

You may like
  • Kratos approaches Aphrodite's bedchamber in God of War 3 "The God of War sex mini-games were designed by women," which is why Aphrodite's bed looks "like a labia"
  • Ryan Hurst opposite a render of Kratos from God of War God of War TV show Kratos actor says he's "grateful to pick up the axe"
  • Key art for God of War Sons of Sparta showing Kratos and Deimos battling a minotaur and other mythological foes with spear and shield New God of War game was going to be set "closer" to the Greek saga, but the devs thought kid Kratos "resonates" more

Hopefully, Morrison and other devs continue sharing similar secrets, but I'm afraid we might've squandered the privilege after this little stunt.

Correction: This article has been updated to reflect that Morrison doesn't "recall any scaling (changing of size)" of Mimir's head. We regret the error.

God of War tips | Best God of War armor | God of War Jotnar Shrine locations | God of War Nornir chests guide | How to beat the God of War Valkyries | How to get the God of War Valkyrie armor | God of War treasure maps | God of War Niflheim tips | God of War Muspelheim tips | God of War Eyes of Odin guide | God of War artifact guide God of War ending | God of War secret ending | God of War secrets 

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
CATEGORIES
PS5 PS4 Platforms PlayStation
Jordan Gerblick
Jordan Gerblick
Social Links Navigation
Staff Writer

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.

Read more
Kratos approaches Aphrodite's bedchamber in God of War 3
"The God of War sex mini-games were designed by women," which is why Aphrodite's bed looks "like a labia"
 
 
Ryan Hurst opposite a render of Kratos from God of War
God of War TV show Kratos actor says he's "grateful to pick up the axe"
 
 
Key art for God of War Sons of Sparta showing Kratos and Deimos battling a minotaur and other mythological foes with spear and shield
New God of War game was going to be set "closer" to the Greek saga, but the devs thought kid Kratos "resonates" more
 
 
Ryan Hurst's Kratos crouching near Atreus (Callum Vinson) in first look at God of War series
God of War's Ryan Hurst tells everyone "not to believe everything they see on the internet" after Kratos first look
 
 
Ryan Hurst opposite a render of Kratos from God of War
God of War first look reveals Kratos and Atreus, but it might not be enough to silence the doubters
 
 
God of War Sons of Sparta
A new God of War game just shadow dropped: see Kratos as a Spartan warrior in surprise 2D action game Sons of Sparta
 
 
Latest in God of War
Kratos approaches Aphrodite's bedchamber in God of War 3
"The God of War sex mini-games were designed by women," which is why Aphrodite's bed looks "like a labia"
 
 
God of War
PlayStation's allegedly making "a new franchise within the God of War universe," according to ex Sony Santa Monica dev
 
 
Atreus and Angrboda sit next to one another in a forest in God of War Ragnarok
Egyptian God of War rumors rekindled as dataminer seemingly uncovers cut Ragnarok dialogue
 
 
Kratos in God of War: Ragnarok
God of War actor Christopher Judge reiterates he has "zero involvement" with remake trilogy, teases "other projects"
 
 
God of War Ragnarok
God of War fans will be "hearing about what we're doing probably late summer," Kratos actor Christopher Judge teases
 
 
Kratos is grabbed by a cyclops in God of War: Sons of Sparta, as Deimos leaps to his aid from behind
New God of War game Sons of Sparta's early Metacritic score places it as the worst in the series
 
 
Latest in News
Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise in the It: Welcome to Derry finale
It: Welcome to Derry season 2 is officially in the works, as showrunner promises "something greater" than season 1
 
 
Mass Effect
"F***ing Colonel Shepard dies in Mass Effect 3, and that makes us the Worst Company in America," former EA exec laments
 
 
a ditto human sitting on some logs with pikachu and pichu
Pokopia's unhinged dialogue is tempting me away from Animal Crossing: "It's a pretty nice butt, don't you think?"
 
 
A lady looks shocked.
55-year industry vet made the first CRPG, got laid off, went bankrupt, but "I don't care": "Business does not love you"
 
 
Dragon Quest 11
Dragon Quest creator says English is "a simple language," so "the flavor tends to get lost" when translating games
 
 
Resident Evil Requiem
Resident Evil Requiem is too scary for series veteran Hideki Kamiya, who argues Capcom "should make a 'non-scary' mode"
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. A lady looks shocked.
    1
    55-year industry vet made the first CRPG, got laid off, went bankrupt, but "I don't care": "Business does not love you"
  2. 2
    Pokopia's unhinged dialogue is tempting me away from Animal Crossing: "It's a pretty nice butt, don't you think?"
  3. 3
    The Asus ROG Azoth 96 HE has returned to take the magnetic crown, but that price tag is going to be a problem
  4. 4
    Dragon Quest creator says English is "a simple language," so "the flavor tends to get lost" when translating games
  5. 5
    One Piece season 2 answers a near 30-year-old manga mystery in surprisingly straightforward fashion

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...