By now, you've likely seen the 20-minute gameplay reveal for God of War Laufey, the next installment in the God of War series, unveiled during Sony's State of Play showcase. The game centers on Faye, who died in 2018's God of War. You'd naturally assume God of War Laufey is a prequel, but it's not. Instead, Sony Santa Monica chose to tell a story that runs parallel to the timelines of 2018 and Ragnarok, chronicling Faye's journey through the afterlife.
Here's the official description:
So why did Sony Santa Monica decide against a prequel? In an interview with IGN ahead of the State of Play reveal, game director Ariel Lawrence and Santa Monica Studio Head of Creative Cory Barlog explained that while they discussed a prequel, they found the idea of picking up after Faye's death far more compelling. It opens up the God of War universe in ways players don't yet fully grasp.
"It was super important for us to start on the same page as the players," Lawrence said. "And where we left Faye was that she was dead. We talked about a prequel and what story we could tell. While those events are still interesting, we felt the best approach was to start right where we left off and drive the story forward from Faye's perspective, putting both her and players in the same spot of exploring this new world."
"Even back in 2018, we started building all this," Barlog added. "We were setting tiny narrative beats to structurally support the growth of the universe. Going into Ragnarok, Odin's fear was 'What happens when I die? I know what happens to everyone else, I set it all up, but what happens to gods when they die?' That unanswered question was put to the audience: we are going to explore this. One of the most famous deaths in this world is the inciting incident for this rebirth. I think she's the perfect character for this perfect time to show there's more to this world than you know, beyond the Greek era and the Norse era. It goes so much further, and it all connects and influences each other. Seeing her reborn in this new world and having to take those awkward first steps together is exciting."
God of War fans are already theorizing whether Faye's journey through the gods' afterlife is referenced in the 2018 game or Ragnarok, or if she played a role in unexplained events from either game within Everywhen. Barlog's comments suggest this is part of a larger storytelling masterplan, so it'll be interesting to see how it all fits together.
We have plenty more on God of War Laufey, including a roundup of internet reactions to the gameplay (the decision to skip a prequel seems well-received) and an explainer on Faye's backstory. Also, here's everything announced at State of Play June 2026 to catch up on PlayStation's upcoming lineup.
