Updated

Updated · Wccftech · Jun 14

Santa Monica Studio Targets H1 2027 for God of War Laufey as Insider Rates Report 85% Likely

Updated

Updated · Wccftech · Jun 14

Santa Monica Studio Targets H1 2027 for God of War Laufey as Insider Rates Report 85% Likely

Q: With Kratos's wife taking the lead, does this signal the end of his iconic journey in God of War?

No. Faye taking the lead in *God of War Laufey* looks more like an expansion of the series than an endpoint for Kratos. The strongest evidence comes from Santa Monica Studio itself. Creative lead Cory Barlog has said there will “always” be Kratos stories, and director Ariel Lawrence has similarly indicated the studio is not done with him. The studio’s public messaging has also stressed that Kratos remains the defining figure of the franchise and that more stories centered on him are planned. What *Laufey* does signal is a shift in perspective. The new game appears designed to deepen the mythology by exploring Faye’s story directly, including her role as an “extremely angry mother” fighting through the afterlife to save loved ones. That gives Sony and Santa Monica Studio room to broaden the universe without retiring its most recognizable character. There are also practical reasons not to read this as a farewell. Kratos reportedly appears in the game, even if briefly, and the franchise is still one of PlayStation’s biggest pillars. Additional reports that Sony is also revisiting earlier *God of War* material with Kratos further undercut the idea that he is being replaced. So the more likely reading is that *God of War Laufey* is a franchise-building move: a major standalone chapter for Faye that opens new narrative paths while preserving Kratos for future mainline stories.

3 articles · Updated · Wccftech · Jun 14

Nate the Hate said Santa Monica Studio has been aiming to release God of War Laufey in the first half of 2027, offering the clearest window yet after Sony announced the game without a date.
Jason Schreier had already said the project was not "years away," and the new report narrows that timeline to an early-2027 target, though the insider cautioned plans may have shifted.
March-April is a plausible landing zone: Santa Monica launched five earlier mainline God of War games in that window, while Ragnarök arrived later on Nov. 9, 2022.
Sony could use that spacing to market Naughty Dog's Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet later in 2027, and Santa Monica has already teased more Laufey details in the coming months.