We were all told that Marvel’s Wolverine would be the biggest reveal of Sony’s most recent State of Play, but it turns out that we were somewhat misled. That’s because, for as cool as Wolverine looked, the surprise 20-minute gameplay trailer for God of War Laufey, which Santa Monica Studio lead Cory Barlog describes as the next “core” game in the God of War franchise, stole the show. Sorry, Insomniac.
God of War Laufey, set to release in 2027, follows 2023’s God of War Ragnarok—kind of. The Laufey campaign is suggested to begin right after Kratos and Atreus burn her funeral pyre, which fans will recognize as the opening scene of God of War 2018. However, with this story beginning in the “afterlife of the gods,” which is also referred to as Everywhen. I’d be willing to bet that the timeline is a little more complicated. At any rate, Laufey will follow the titular Giantess through this unexpected afterlife, which is teeming with beings from other mythologies, potentially queuing up a brave new God of War world.
God of War Laufey Leaks 2nd Playable Character
God of War Laufey features Faye as the main playable character, but leaks claim that she won't be the only one in the game.
God of War Laufey Rounds Out Modern God of War
Regardless of where it fits in the God of War timeline, God of War Laufey is clearly more than a spin-off. Setting aside the fact that it boasts the same high production value and cinematic attention to detail that players have come to expect from Santa Monica, the game’s trailer makes more than a few gestures to the story of God of War Ragnarok. The most notable of these is the role of the mysterious mask, which is almost certainly linked to the Mask of Creation from Ragnarok.
God of War Laufey is thus poised to answer a lot of questions posed by the previous God of War games. Not only might we uncover more of the secrets behind the masks, Odin’s greater plan, and Laufey herself, but we could also learn more about the broader God of War universe. This is because God of War Laufey is officially introducing characters from new mythologies. We know of at least two:
- Begtse: the Mongolian God of War
- Sekhmet: the Egyptian God of War
Laufey will be the first God of War since God of War 2018 to do this, and marks the second time that new mythologies have been explicitly, meaningfully introduced to the series. Of course, previous God of War games, including Ragnarok, are filled with references to other mythologies, but they’ve never introduced major players in the way that Laufey seems to be doing.
I’d Be Fine If God of War Laufey Capped Off the Norse Saga
I can’t say what Santa Monica Studios’ plan is beyond God of War Laufey, but this might not even matter: by so decisively bridging the gap between the Norse realms and the Mongolian and Egyptian ones, Laufey might have opened a door it can’t close. Regardless of what comes next, the Norse saga is no longer strictly Norse. Other players have entered the arena, expanding the world of God of War beyond, just like how God of War 2018 irreversibly expanded beyond Greece.
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Laufey could very well be the last Norse-focused God of War game for a while. Assuming it takes place primarily in Everywhen, an interstitial space between worlds, Laufey would be an obvious opportunity to transition the franchise into another mythological backdrop. I still think we will get an Atreus-led God of War game at some point—actually, this seems even more likely after Laufey’s reveal—but maybe Fey’s Everywhen journey will pivot her son in the direction of new lands. Perhaps God of War Laufey will be the bow that launches Atreus, and the God of War franchise by extension, into the next era.
- Developer(s)
- Santa Monica Studio
- Publisher(s)
- Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Prequel(s)
- God of War, God of War Ragnarok
- Franchise
- God of War
- Number of Players
- Single-player
WHERE TO PLAY
Experience the next chapter of the legendary God of War franchise - for both new and returning fans alike.
Death was supposed to be the end, but for Laufey (Faye), warrior and wife to Kratos, a new adventure is just beginning. Awakening unexpectedly in a strange land after her death, Faye discovers the plans she put in place to protect Kratos and Atreus in her absence are now at risk.
To save the ones she loves, Faye must fight through the afterlife of the gods - the Everywhen - where ruthless gods from across mythology vie for power in a land overflowing with dangerous magic. Harness Faye's speed, control, and relentlessness to overwhelm even the fiercest of foes with decisive, deadly precision.
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5
