Source: Sony Computer Entertainment
A new discovery is sparking excitement among God of War fans, hinting that the classic Greek-era games might soon join the PlayStation Plus Premium lineup in an emulated format. While most older entries in Sony’s legendary God of War franchise are currently accessible only via cloud streaming on the service, this could soon change—just in time for the series’ upcoming 20th anniversary.
Since its debut in 2005, the God of War series has become a staple of PlayStation’s catalog. The original game on PS2 quickly became a fan favorite, selling over 4.6 million copies by 2012. Its sequel, God of War 2, released in 2007, matched the success and paved the way for more entries, including Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta on PSP, as well as God of War 3 and Ascension on PS3. To this day, only God of War 3 has received a remaster for PS4, leaving fans clamoring for a chance to replay the others on modern consoles.
Source: Devianart
A recent development adds fuel to these hopes. A sharp-eyed fan noticed an image of Kratos from the Greek-era games featured in the PS2 classics section of PlayStation Plus Premium. Interestingly, the titles themselves are currently unavailable on the service. This subtle update has led to widespread speculation that Sony is working on adding the classic God of War games to the PS Plus Premium catalog natively, possibly as a way to celebrate the franchise’s 20th anniversary in 2025. There’s also talk of potential remasters, though some suspect that may simply be confusion over native emulation support.
Sony’s commitment to reviving PS2 games for modern audiences has grown, thanks in part to the release of a new PS2 emulator for PS Plus Premium earlier this year. This effort has seen fan-favorite games return with enhanced features like trophies, save states, rewind options, and up-rendering. If the God of War classics join the PS Plus lineup, they’re expected to receive the same treatment, much like the recent re-release of Siren.
One wrinkle in these plans, however, is God of War: Ascension. As a PS3 title, Ascension is still tied to the limitations of cloud streaming, since the PS5 lacks native PS3 emulation. For now, it seems likely that Ascension will remain a cloud-streaming option, even if the earlier PS2 games make their return via native emulation.
Despite this, the prospect of revisiting Kratos’ Greek mythology-filled adventures on modern hardware is an exciting one for fans, and with the 20th anniversary just around the corner, now seems like the perfect time for Sony to bring these classics back to life
Beyond speculation on God of War, there are hints that Sony is planning broader updates for the PlayStation Plus Premium service. Rumors point to more PS2 and PS3 classics getting similar emulation treatment, as the company looks to enrich its library of retro titles. While nothing has been officially confirmed, Sony’s focus on enhancing the value of PS Plus Premium with classic games suggests that more fan-favorites from the PlayStation archives could be on the horizon.
