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In God of War: Ragnarok, the answer to the question “can you pet the dog?” is yes, thanks to a special Favor side quest that allows Kratos to pet Speki and Svanna, the wolves that pull his sleigh across the frozen wasteland of Midgard. Petting dogs and other animals is one of gaming’s most wholesome trends, with many developers working to add special button prompts to allow players to pet their most loyal virtual furry companion. However, God of War: Ragnarok’s developers have pulled out all the stops for the epic conclusion to the series’ Norse saga. As such, it is fitting that players get to pet the wolves in God of War: Ragnarok. Players must complete a surprisingly thoughtful and combat-filled side quest, leading to Kratos thanking his wolf companions with a few scratches behind the ears.
To receive the Animal Instincts side quest, players will need to progress through God of War: Ragnarok’s lengthy main story to the point where Kratos returns to Midgard’s Lake of Nine with his allies. In the grip of Fimbulwinter, the Lake of Nine has frozen over, giving players access to a vast frozen wasteland packed with rare resources, secrets, and collectibles to find. Players can also find camps scattered across the Lake of Nine filled with hostile raiders. On clearing one camp, Kratos will mention that the wolves were rescued from the Kol Raiders, starting this quest.
How To Complete The Animal Instincts Favor
To complete this quest, players will need to clear out the remaining three camps, as shown on the map above.
Raider Hideout
This camp is located in the eastern part of the Lake of Nine, near two large stone doors. Players can find one of GoW: Ragnarok’s Midgard’s Nornir Treasure Chests here, as well as a Legendary Chest.
Raider Fort
Located in the northwestern part of the Lake of Nine. Players can enter this camp by climbing up a ledge.
Raider Keep
Located in the southern part of the Lake of Nine. Players will likely notice the bloodstain from a hole in the ice first and can enter the keep through a crack in the ice wall directly to the left.
Raider Stronghold
The entrance to the Raider Stronghold is located in the northeastern part of the Lake of Nine at the base of Tyr’s Temple, directly opposite the helmet from Tyr’s statue.
It’s recommended that players visit the Raider Fort before the Raider Hideout, as one of God of War: Ragnarok’s treasure maps, the Viking’s Gift, can be found at the Raider Fort. This treasure map points to a location directly outside the entrance to the Raider Hideout. Otherwise, the camps can be cleared in any order.
On visiting the final camp, Kratos will be attacked by Oluf Nautson, chieftain of the Kol Raiders, and will have to engage in a boss fight. Oluf has a few unique attacks that can break Kratos’ guard and strikes that can’t be blocked. Players should also keep an eye out for Oluf’s healing ability which can be interrupted with a quick shield strike, stunning him and allowing players to unleash Kratos’ light runic attacks. As Oluf only appears at the last camp, players can choose where to fight him. The Raider Fort or Raider Keep is ideal, as the other locations have less space for players to move and dodge.
Kratos will return to Speki and Svanna to find them still on edge about the raiders’ presence. So he’ll offer them an uncharacteristic scratch behind the ears to calm them. Petting the wolves is a key step to getting the game’s platinum trophy, as completing the quest causes God of War: Ragnarok’s Besties trophy to pop.
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![God of War Ragnarok Poster]()
God of War Ragnarok
- Original Release Date:
- 2022-11-09
- Developer:
- Santa Monica Studio
- Franchise:
- God of War
- Genre:
- Adventure, Action
- Platform:
- PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
- Publisher:
- Sony Interactive Entertainment
- ESRB:
- M
- Summary:
- Ragnarok has arrived in God of War Ragnarok, the sequel to the 2018 game of the year released on PlayStation 4. Three years have passed since Kratos and his son, Atreus completed their quest across the realms while facing off with a small handful of Norse gods. However, their actions come with consequences. The Allfather, Odin, is ready for vengeance, and his son, Thor, is leading the charge. Atreus, looking to find more answers to the questions of his lineage bestowed to him by his mother, embarks on another quest with his father to discover the truth while contending with the wrath of Odin’s realm. New friends and allies will help them on their journey, but some allies turned foes will seek to end them before Fimbulwinter comes to a close. God of War Ragnarok will conclude the Norse saga of God of War and launch on November 9 2022.
- Prequel:
- God of War
