Which God of War game was the first in the series to include multiplayer?

God of War: Ascension was the first game in the series to include multiplayer.

Released in 2013 for PlayStation 3, Ascension added competitive and cooperative multiplayer to the traditionally single-player franchise. Players created warriors who pledged allegiance to one of four gods—Zeus, Hades, Ares, or Poseidon—and fought in arena-based modes.

The multiplayer included team battles and objective-focused matches, with combat systems adapted from the main campaign. Players could earn experience, unlock equipment, and customize their warriors while serving their chosen deity. This mode was separate from the single-player story, which serves as a prequel to the original God of War.

Earlier entries such as God of War II and God of War III offered only single-player campaigns, despite including challenge modes and other replay features. Later Norse-era games also returned to a single-player focus, so Ascension remains the series entry most associated with official multiplayer gameplay.