God of War's 'fiercest villain' is Zeus, according to 20th anniversary voters

Santa Monica Studio just wrapped up its 20th Anniversary celebration, bringing together developers, cast members, and fans to honor two decades of God of War. As part of the event, the studio hosted the "Pantheum Punnel" - a tournament-style showdown to determine the fiercest villain in the franchise.

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As detailed on the studio's official website, the bracket launched in March and followed a format similar to NCAA's March Madness. It featured 32 villains from both the Norse and Greek eras of God of War, whittled down week by week through community votes.

Over 250,000 fans cast their ballots, narrowing the lineup to a final four: Zeus, Thor, Odin, and Cronos. From there, it came down to a brutal All-Father face-off - Zeus versus Odin.

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In the end, Zeus dominated, earning 82.6% of the vote on X and 77% on Discord to be crowned the ultimate villain.

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Sure, some might argue whether a March Madness-style bracket is the most scientific way to crown a winner. But when you consider the violent ending - and the sheer personal vendetta between Kratos and Zeus - it's hard to argue that there was ever a more fitting choice.

That wasn't all that was in store at the 20th Anniversary celebrations, with a month of activities, an in-person art exhibition, two panel events, and community spotlights across social media.

To read more about everything God of War over the past month, check out the full recap published by Santa Monica Studios.