God of War Ragnarok is a cinematic treat for all the players that love Norse mythology. Almost every bit of GoW Ragnarok has references related to the Norse gods and their culture. But there’s one unexplained plot point that is boggling minds. It’s about the mysterious mask that Atreus throws away before the end of GoW Ragnarok. While Odin was a straight-up psychopath throughout the game, he was right about this question. “What was it all for?” So, let’s find out what is the Mask in God of War Ragnarok and its reference.
Disclaimer: The following guide contains heavy spoilers about the in-game story. So, if you haven’t completed it, now is the best chance to head back.
What is the Mask in God of War Ragnarok
The answer to this question is extremely uncertain. There are no references related to the Mask throughout Norse mythology or GoW Ragnarok. Fortunately, there’s a single reference to it in Jim Carrey’s Mask (1994). While looking at that, I ridiculed myself as GoW Ragnarok is filled with Norse myths. But didn’t it look familiar?
Atreus embarks on a journey to restore this mysterious broken Mask. When he rebuilds the mask, he feels a strong and strange connection with it. Due to this connection, he somehow knows where to find its fragments. But when Odin forces him into wearing the mask to gain its power, he throws it away to an unknown portal or realm. There are several theories about this mask landing in Jim Carrey’s Mask universe. Now, I know it feels like a stretch!
But there are several references in the Mask movie that reference Loki. One of the deleted scenes in the movie takes place in the 10th century. During this scene, a group of Vikings buries the Mask as a witch casts a spell. As she casts a spell, she prays for heaven to the fool that finds it in the future. Later, Stanley Ipkiss finds it and the rest, you all know. In the movies as well as animated series, Loki is the owner of the Mask. Furthermore, there are several parallels between both masks.
When Polygon asked the Narrative Director, Matt Sophos about the mask’s lore, he said, “We deliberately never say where the mask comes from. We do specifically say the Giants didn’t make it, but it’s a mystery to Odin that’s at the heart of what he’s trying to figure out.” Polygon also had a talk with Anthony Burch who contributed to the writing. While looking for a MacGuffin, he’s almost sure that it was Matt Sophos who suggested that it should be a mask. He further commented that while summarizing the plot, he sent a text to Sophos, “ssssssomebody stop Odin“. So, they did know about the similarities between both masks. (If you are wondering about Macguffin, it’s an object or device that acts as the trigger for the plot)
In my opinion, it could also be a simple MacGuffin designed to blow the minds of players. It could also return to Atreus for future installments as he had a strange connection with the mask. Or the mask has gone through the portal to land on Earth to Stanley Ipkiss. So, does it mean that God of War Ragnarok is a prequel to Jim Carrey Mask’s universe? Sheesh! Out of all the bizarre explanations, it might also be a plain joke.
Regardless, this MacGuffin might be the most underexplained and confusing plot point out of the entire GoW lore (except for how Kratos got to Midgard). We will make sure to update this article if the writers or the GoW Ragnarok PR team spill the beans about the Mask in the future.
That’s everything covered about what is the Mask in God of War Ragnarok. If you liked this guide, check out our more guides on what does a Juicy Nokken mean, how to get the Secret Ending, all Nine realms explained, and more God of War Ragnarok Guides on our dedicated section right here on Gamer Tweak.