NGRGod of War Creator Reveals Pizza Jokes Led to Renaming Kratos
Original God of War director David Jaffe explained why Kratos was renamed after developers relentlessly poked fun at his initial title.
Image: Steam store promotional artwork
The iconic protagonist of God of War nearly carried an entirely different moniker during early development. Original series director David Jaffe revealed in a recent video that the Spartan warrior was originally dubbed Dominus to convey strength. However, the title was quickly abandoned after Santa Monica Studio team members began repeatedly making Domino's Pizza jokes whenever the moniker was uttered.
Faced with constant quips referencing pizza delivery slogans, the development team scrapped Dominus and searched for an alternative. Jaffe attempted to pick options from a printed list of Ancient Greek baby names, highlighting choices such as Julius, Parthenius, and Maksym, but none felt suitable. The name Kratos was ultimately proposed by marketing lead Susan Panico, earning immediate approval from the team despite already resting unhighlighted on the original name sheet.
The 2005 release of God of War kicked off a massive franchise for Sony that continues to expand. Alongside the retrospective details, upcoming series entries include God of War: Laufey, scheduled to arrive on PlayStation 5 in February 2027, as well as an unannounced project directed by Cory Barlog that will feature Kratos once again.