God Of War Laufey: Everything We Know So Far

Not long after those "God of War" leaks about a new protagonist replacing Kratos in the fantasy franchise's next installment, the rumors would be proven true. An announcement trailer for "God of War Laufey" was unveiled for PlayStation 5 at the close of the 2026 Playstation State of Play presentation. Aligning with the leaks, the game's protagonist is Faye, the late wife of the series' usual lead character, Kratos, and the mother of their son, Atreus. Developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, details are emerging about the upcoming title even though an official release date has yet to be confirmed.

This change in protagonist has led "God of War Laufey" into generating some controversy, an unfortunate inevitability in some corners of the industry these days. But the game itself looks as fast-paced and action-packed as ever, with Faye handling visibly different than Kratos. The game's art design looks richly realized, taking advantage of the PS5 hardware capabilities. With all these tantalizing details, we can't wait to dive into the game when it launches.

Here is everything that we know so far about "God of War Laufey," the next entry in Santa Monica Studio's acclaimed series.

Within the entire "God of War" timeline, "Laufey" takes place after Faye's funeral, as seen in the opening to 2018's "God of War." The PlayStation 4 game began with Kratos cremating Faye's body before he and Atreus travel to spread her ashes from the top of the tallest mountain, as per her dying wish. The announcement trailer features Faye being revived in the afterlife realm of Everywhen, shared by deities from other global pantheons, including Egyptian and Mongolian demigods. The trailer describes Faye as being on a quest to help Kratos and Atreus from beyond, though it's still unclear how she'll accomplish that.

Interestingly, given the "God of War" mythology at this point, there could potentially be no shortage of gods with grudges against Kratos and his kin. Virtually the entire ancient Greek pantheon could be in Everywhen, with several notable exceptions, after Kratos slaughtered them in the original "God of War" trilogy. If "Laufey" takes place around the same time as the 2018 game and its 2022 direct sequel, "God of War: Ragnarök," those recently killed Norse gods could also appear. The upcoming game's placement in the timeline could link up with some very interesting elements from the franchise's entire history.

Cory Barlog, who has been a part of the "God of War" series since the beginning, oversees this new project in his capacity as head of creative at Santa Monica Studio. The game director for "God of War Laufey" is Ariel Lawrence, a writer and producer on "God of War II," "God of War III," and "God of War: Ascension." Before this, Lawrence worked on the original "God of War," including assembling the Tokyo Game Show trailer that heralded the franchise's arrival. As such, Barlog and Lawrence have been working together in some capacity for over 20 years, and are still charting the future of "God of War" together.

In terms of on-screen talent, "Daredevil" star Deborah Ann Woll returns to play Faye, providing voiceover and motion capture, after previously portraying the character in "God of War: Ragnarök." Woll's performance as Faye had largely been seen in flashbacks experienced by Kratos, with "Laufey" putting her on center stage. New characters in the game include the sentient gelatinous cube Phranque, played by Jack Quaid, and the sentient ribbons attached to Faye's sword Rue, are played by Perlina Lau. These characters appear to be allies, offering to join Faye on her quest through Everywhen as she battles hostile deities.

As for Kratos, the character does appear in the announcement trailer. The actual capacity of his involvement is still unknown.

Throughout 2018's "God of War" and the later "God of War: Ragnarök," Kratos and Atreus learn that Faye had hidden a divine lineage and warrior history of her own. Those elements will likely become key to the story and combat of "God of War Laufey," though only snippets of gameplay have been revealed so far. Compared to Kratos, Faye is a much more acrobatic fighter, favoring faster strikes and balletic moves. Many of Faye's combat combos ascend to the air as she links attacks, in contrast to Kratos' hard-hitting, bruiser melee fighting style.

Some of the game's enemies have also been revealed, including the Egyptian goddess of war Sekhmet and the Mongolian god of war Begtse. Using her sword, Faye is seen fighting through waves of the two gods' minions, able to temporarily separate her target's soul from their body as she continues to do damage. Faye's fast movements also help her evade incoming attacks as she flits through the battlefield, dispatching opponents. "Laufey" possesses the fiery combat and immersive environments fans expect of "God of War," but delivered in a fresh way.

As more news from "God of War Laufey" is revealed, including its eventual release date, we'll be watching and reporting on what we learn.