God of War: Kratos Was Almost Named After a Pizza Chain

David Jaffe reveals Kratos was nearly called Dominus, but the name sounded too much like Domino's Pizza, leading to endless jokes and a last-minute change.
Ever wondered how Kratos got his name? Turns out, the God of War icon almost ended up with a much cheesier moniker—literally. According to IGN, series creator David Jaffe shared a hilarious behind-the-scenes story: Kratos was originally going to be called Dominus.
Jaffe loved Dominus. He thought it sounded powerful and imposing. But there was one big problem—it sounded way too similar to Domino's, the pizza chain. Every time the dev team said the name out loud, someone would crack a pizza delivery joke. After dozens of these rib-tickling jabs, the team finally gave up on Dominus for good.
So they went back to the drawing board, poring over long lists of ancient Greek names. Jaffe marked a bunch of candidates, but none of them felt quite right. Then Susan Panico, the marketing lead at the time, threw out "Kratos." The room agreed—it was perfect. And just like that, the name was locked in.
The funny part? Kratos was actually on that original list all along. Jaffe just hadn't flagged it. Looking back, he mused that success in games often comes down to luck and timing. If not for a pizza chain and a sharp marketing mind, we might be calling him Dominus today.
What do you think? Would God of War have been as iconic with a hero named Dominus? Let us know in the comments!
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