God of War Ragnarok takes you through nine realms from Norse Mythology with each one filled to the brim with adventures that are bound to keep you busy for a lot longer than the previous installments of the game.
But unlocking and navigating these realms isn’t always a walk in the park—that’s where this guide comes in. We’ll break down everything you need to know to access all nine realms, guiding you through the twists and turns of the story as you prepare for the ultimate showdown: Ragnarok.
How to Access Every Realm in God of War Ragnarok
God of War Ragnarok features a whopping nine realms as compared to the previous generation which only allowed you to travel to six of the nine known Mythic Norse Realms.
Unlocking and traveling to most realms comes naturally as part of the main story. This is true for most but not all of them. Unlocking a realm requires you to obtain a Yggdrasil Realm Seeds, and take it to the Realm Gate in the Realm Between Realms.
During the first chapter, you will visit her and meet Sindri and Brok who will fix the Realm Gate for you. From then onwards, you can use a Realm Seed to unlock the realm of your choice.
Here is how you can unlock all nine realms in God of War Ragnarok:
Midgard
Midgard is where your journey in God of War Ragnork will begin and not only that but it is also the biggest realm by sheer size in the game. While most of it is unlocked from the get-go, don’t expect to see everything right away. You will be able to access more of this realm as you push deeper into the story.
Svartalfheim
Svartalfheim is the second realm that you will journey to in GOW Ragnarok and also marks the first time that you will use the Realm Gate and Yggdrasil Realm Seeds. Sindri will give you the realm seed for Svartalfheim as part of the process where he unlocks the realm gate for the first time.
You will visit Svartalfheim to complete the quest for Tyr in the game’s second chapter. This comes right after you complete The Word of Fate Quest in Midgard.
Niflheim
The realm seed for Niflheim comes as a reward for completing chapter 3 granting you access to the land of mist and secrets. While there is plenty to explore in Niflheim a large part of the realm remains tucked away until the final chapter is behind you. It’s only after you have completed the main story, that Niflheims truly opens up.
Alfheim
The fourth realm Alfheim, is also unlocked automatically during the main story progression. You will likely visit Realm of Light and Dark Elves during chapter 4 and more specifically to complete Groa’s Secret quest.
While the realm itself is visually stunning, it has almost always found itself amidst deep-rooted conflict between the light and dark elves. You might recognize parts of the realm from the previous God of War but ever since Kratos taught the elves the skill to harness light, they’ve made some significant progress.
Vanaheim
Vanaheim, the realm of Vanir God, is also the realm where Freya originally comes from. Coincidentally, you will visit Vanaheim with Freya in Chapter 6 and more specifically to complete The Reckoning quest.
You will only have access to the southern part of the realm while the other parts such as the northern part will unlock after you complete the main story.
Asgard
As you progress further into the main storyline, all the way to chapter 7, you will receive the Realm Seed for Asgard, home to powerful gods like Odin and Thor.
Around this time the story will start to wrap up and you will face some of the toughest foes in this legendary realm. You can come back after you complete the main story to visit and explore the previously locked regions.
Muspelheim
Muspelheim’s realm seed is split into two fragments both of which are located in the second region – Svartalfheim. You might’ve already collected the first fragment on your previous visit in Chapter 2.
The first fragment can be found in Modvitnir’s Rig. Either way, you will have to travel back to Dragon Beach in Svartalfheim along with Draupnir Spear because it is the only way to access the area. Once you have both of the pieces, unlock Muspelheim.
Helheim
You won’t have to do much to unlock Helheim because it is unlocked automatically as you progress in the story during chapter 11 of God of War Ragnarok. More specifically, you will get access to the Realm Seed for Helheim during the Reunion quest.
Jötunheim
If you have been paying attention then you might’ve already seen Jotunheim in Atreus’s dream in Chapter 5 but you are only able to visit after you have completed the main storyline. You will automatically receive the realm seed when you end the story and then you will be able to access it completely.
Realm Between Realms
The realm which connects you to all the other realms – the realm between realms. It exists outside the 9 known realms and serves as the connection from where you are able to access all the other ones.
The whole area surrounds the Yggdrasil Tree, which is the pivot for all the other dimensions. It is unlocked automatically as part of the main story progression.