God of War Mod Reveals Beardless Kratos

2018's God of War gave Kratos a redesign that quickly gained iconic status. A big part of that design is the character's beard, which helped give Kratos a much older appearance than previous series entries. Thanks to the beard, that design might be more popular than the character's original appearance, but modder Speclizer decided to give the character a bit of a trim. It's weird seeing this version of the character looking clean-shaven, and it does make him look a little bit younger than he does in God of War. That said, Kratos still maintains a heavy five o'clock shadow!

Of course, the entire point of Kratos' beard was to better sell the passage of time between God of War and earlier entries in the series. Seeing the character without it makes him look just a bit too young for the game's overall storyline! Readers can judge for themselves by checking out the video from Speclizer, which can be found embedded below.

God of War art director Raf Grassetti had previously shown alternate takes on Kratos from the game, including one without the beard, and one with a more unkempt beard. The latter version felt a bit more faithful to typical depictions of mythological figures, but it also looked a bit generic compared to the final product. It certainly seems like the final design offered the very best possible appearance for the character!

It will be interesting to see if Kratos' appearance changes in the next entry of the God of War series. Sony has yet to announce an official title for the upcoming PlayStation 5 game, but it is expected to release sometime next year, and it will apparently focus on Ragnarok. The ending to God of War saw gave audiences a glimpse of Thor, and it's expected that the character may seek revenge for Kratos' actions in the previous game.

In addition to the Kratos beard mod, Speclizer has also shared videos of multiple out-of-bounds discoveries, giving viewers a better glimpse at elements found behind the scenes. Those hoping to see more can find the modder's YouTube page right here, or at their Patreon, which can be found right here.

Are you a fan of God of War? What do you think of Kratos without the beard? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!