Upgrading Kratos and Atreus

Kratos’ equipment consists of three pieces of armor (chest, wrist, and waist), a Talisman, the Guardian Shield, and his weapon (Leviathan Axe and Blades of Chaos). Atreus wears one piece of armor and fights with his Talon Bow. All of this can be improved; upgrade all three weapons, equip Runic Attacks, spend XP on powerful Skills, and craft new armor with resources discovered along the way. The Equipment and Skills chapter provides details for every upgrade available.

Weapon upgrades

Runic Attacks and Summons

Special abilities are available for the axe, Blades, and bow. Kratos can equip a Light and Heavy Runic Attack on each of his weapons, while Atreus has a Runic Summon that may be used in and out of combat. Hold L1 + R1 to perform the Light Runic Attack and L1 + R2 for the Heavy. Hold Square, and Atreus sends out his Runic Summon. All specials require a cooldown time before they can be used again. Increase Kratos’ Runic and Cooldown Stats to improve the effectiveness of the abilities.

Skills

Passive and active Skills are available for the Leviathan Axe, Blades of Chaos, Guardian Shield, Talon Bow, and Rage Mode. The three weapons (but not the Guardian Shield) must be upgraded to unlock all of the Skills. Spend XP at the journal’s Skills Tab to purchase Skills.

A number of Skills offer a bonus when a specified Stat reaches a certain level. The highest of these levels require fairly specific gear to achieve, though they can all be tweaked with Enchantments. Sort by the desired Stat to find those with the most. Besides Vitality, the following setups get you close enough to the required Stat that you only need to use a few Enchantments to reach the desired level. Reaching a Vitality of 225 is difficult and requires numerous Enchantments with Vitality. It may be better to switch out the Talisman with the Shattered Gauntlet of Ages III and equip three more Vitality Enchantments if available.

Suggested Equipment to Reach Required Stats

Our Equipment and Skills chapter lists every Skill available, along with requirements and XP cost for each one.

Pommels for the Axe and Blades

Equip pommels on the Leviathan Axe and Blades of Chaos for increased Stats and a unique Perk. The Perk is activated at varying rates after a specific combat action. Upgrading pommels at a shop increases the Stats. Check out our full listing of available pommels in the Equipment chapter.

Armor for Kratos and Atreus

Kratos is protected by three pieces of armor: chest, wrists, and waist. All armor provides Kratos with boosts in Stats, while higher-level armor offers some kind of bonus such as health regeneration or a buff.

At first Kratos is equipped with the most basic armor, but as you progress through the Journey, new armor sets become available at Huldra shops. As you discover new locations, loot containers, and complete optional content, stronger armor is unlocked. Once available at a shop, the armor can be crafted when you spend resources gathered throughout the realms.

Nearly all armor includes slots called Enchantment Sockets, where Enchantments are inserted for Stat boosts and bonus Perks. Enchantments are found in containers, dropped by enemies, rewarded for completing objectives, and purchased from shops. Each component includes zero to three sockets.

Shops also offer the ability to upgrade each piece of armor in exchange for more resources. This improves the Stats and typically adds an extra Enchantment Socket.

Talismans

Kratos is able to equip one Talisman, which provides a boost to certain Stats along with a bonus. Some Talismans have an ability that can be activated, though you must wait the given cooldown time before using it again. It is well worth the effort to seek out higher-end Talismans, which provide great bonuses such as the following: a Realm Shift, a powerful shockwave, or a burst of health. While Enchantment Sockets are not common in Talismans, there are a few that provide this benefit.

Enchantments

Enchantments can be socketed into armor (and a few special Talismans) to increase Stats and provide Perks. There are numerous bonuses available, allowing you to build the armor of your choosing. Available Perks include increased resistances, improved Runic Attacks, health bursts, and more. As armor is upgraded, more Enchantment Sockets become available. Experiment with different setups to find the one that best suits your playstyle. Find a list of the unique Enchantments in the Equipment chapter.