Between the imminent arrival ofGod of War: Ragnarokon PS5 and PS4 next year, and the anticipated PC port of its 2018 prequel launching just next month, it’s fair to say thatSanta Monica Studiois set to have a pretty big 2022. Naturally success like this, and hype in the entertainment industry in general, often leads to different forms of imitation. It’s no surprise in a lot of ways that theGod of Warseries has subsequently spawned some intriguing knock-offs over its storied 16-year history.
One of the most prevalent that’s got the internet talking, at least in recent times, is a mobile game namedChief Almighty. What makes the downloadable title stand out in particular as a knock-off though, isn’t because its developers have copiedGod of War’s cinematography, gameplay mechanics, or even its epic mythology-infused plot. Instead,Chief Almighty’s marketing campaign has brazenly utilized the cover art for the series’ 2018 soft-reboot, with only minor adjustments.
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What is Chief Almighty
Developed by Chinese studio Yotta Games,Chief Almightyshares little in common withSony’sGod of Warfranchisewhen it comes to gameplay mechanics, despite the studio’s attempts to invoke the third person action series in its marketing. Stylized instead primarily as a top-down real-time strategy mobile game, players assemble and train a clan of warriors before unleashing them on hordes of ancient prehistoric beasts.The mythology-inspired characters, creatures, and gods that have played a large role in Santa Monica Studio’s rise to stardom are also absent, asChef Almightyis rooted in the earliest stone age days of the human race.
Slight artistic license has been taken in this department, however, arguably to the game and player’s benefit, as time-inappropriate animals like dinosaurs can frequently be found withinChief Almighty. When players aren’t battling ancient reptiles and warriors over precious resources though, or building up their settlements with said goods, they can also team-up and attack other clan leaders online, tame savage beasts, and even date members of their own tribe. Released initially back in November 2017 on android and iOS, in that timeChief Almightyhas seemingly amassed a decent fan base following as it currently sits at a 4.6 out of 5 user score on both platforms.
Chief Almighty’s Cover Art
What’s madeChief Almightystand out within the crowded mobile game section of the gaming industry, though, is the downright outrageous marketing that Yotta Games has created to promote its creation. Since its aforementioned release in 2017, all manner of videos have been released and targeted at YouTube viewers and Facebook users in the name of this quest. Some that depict aflesh eating Velociraptor-like dinosaurraising an infant child, for example, stand out as being particularly memorable and bizarre.
This is where theGod of Warseries unexpectedly comes charging into the picture, against Santa Monica Studio or Kratos’ will. In recent months, Yotta Games has utilized a version of the series’2018 cover art to promoteChief Almightyonline. While it appears as though the image has admittedly been created from scratch and is therefore technically original, it bears an instant and undeniable resemblance to the aforementioned PS4 game. The manner in which everything has been recreated with only slight alterations, and Kratos and Atreus have been replaced by off-brand versions of themselves, truly screams knock-off in every sense of the phrase.
Chief Almighty’s Other Covers
It currently remains to be seen whether or not there will be any legal ramifications for Yotta Games, due to its reinterpretation of Santa Monica Studio’s iconic artwork. Members of the Sony first party studiosuch as Cory Barlog, for example, have acknowledged the bizarreness of the situation in lighthearted tweets and social media posts. However, it remains to be seen how Sony as a larger corporate entity and business reacts to its trademarks potentially being infringed upon.
Santa Monica Studio’sGod of Waris far from the only series to receive theChief Almightyknock-off homage treatment either.Guerrilla Games’Horizon Zero Dawncover art, for example has also been recreated by the Chinese studio. Instead of featuring Aloy facing off against a robotic dinosaur, another female hunter is shown battling a Tyrannosaurus Rex taken directly fromJurassic World. Ubisoft’sFar Cryseries has also been used to promoteChief Almightyon two occasions, with the covers ofFar Cry 3andFar Cry Primalhaving both been recreated with other prehistoric-themed twists.
God of Waris available on PS4 and comes to PC on August 08, 2025.
