Updated

Updated · Kotaku · Jul 10

Santa Monica Studio Confirms God of War Laufey Disc Release as Sony Ends New Physical Games in 2028

Updated

Updated · Kotaku · Jul 10

Santa Monica Studio Confirms God of War Laufey Disc Release as Sony Ends New Physical Games in 2028

Q: As one of PlayStation's final physical games, will God of War Laufey's story thematically explore endings and the preservation of a legacy?

Yes. Based on what Sony and Santa Monica Studio have revealed, *God of War Laufey* is very likely to center on endings and legacy, and its status as a late-era physical PlayStation release only sharpens that reading. The story itself is built around an ending that does not stay final. Faye awakens after her funeral in the “Everywhen,” an afterlife realm where dead gods continue to struggle for power. That premise directly turns death into a thematic question: what is an ending for a god, and what remains after it? Santa Monica’s own framing — that death “was supposed to be the end” for Faye — strongly points to a narrative about what survives beyond finality. Legacy is even more explicit. Faye’s mission is to protect Kratos and Atreus by preserving plans she set in motion before her death. In earlier *God of War* games, her influence shaped the family’s path from offscreen; this game appears designed to bring that hidden legacy into the foreground and test whether it can endure. There is also a broader franchise dimension. Santa Monica has said the game is not a break from Kratos’s story but an expansion of the same universe, with direct connections to the Norse saga. That suggests *Laufey* may function as both a character study and a way of preserving and reframing the series’ recent narrative legacy. What remains unconfirmed is whether the physical-disc context will be addressed overtly in the script. But thematically, the fit is clear.

Q: Will Faye’s journey through an afterlife of gods allow her to confront figures from both the Norse and forgotten Greek pantheons?

Probably yes for Norse figures, but Greek figures are not yet firmly confirmed. What Santa Monica Studio has established is that “God of War Laufey” follows Faye in the Everywhen, an afterlife realm where gods from multiple mythologies contend for power. That makes encounters with Norse figures highly likely, and the supporting material explicitly says Norse gods and jotnar still exist within this setting. The game also already points beyond Norse mythology, with new deities such as Sekhmet and Begtse cited as examples of the wider pantheon mix. The weaker part of the claim is the “forgotten Greek pantheon.” The available information does not clearly confirm named Greek gods for Faye to confront. Some commentary argues that because the Everywhen is an afterlife spanning all pantheons, and because Kratos is expected to appear, Greek figures could logically surface as well. But that remains inference rather than a confirmed story detail. So the best evidence-based answer is that Faye’s journey is designed to cross pantheons and should bring her into contact with Norse gods and other mythological powers. Whether that specifically includes major Greek figures has not been officially confirmed yet. More concrete story details are expected at the game’s San Diego Comic-Con 2026 panel.

3 articles · Updated · Kotaku · Jul 10

Santa Monica Studio said on X that God of War Laufey “will be available on disc,” using a San Diego Comic-Con post to head off backlash over Sony’s physical-media retreat.
January 2028 is the key cutoff: Sony has said no new PlayStation games will launch on disc after then, making Laufey’s physical edition a sign it is planned before that deadline.
July 24 is the next public milestone for the game, when Santa Monica hosts a Comic-Con panel with Game Director Ariel Lawrence, cast members and moderator Cory Barlog.
PS5 discs already released can still be reprinted after 2028, but Sony has not said whether those discs will work on PS6 hardware, likely via an optional optical drive.
Microsoft is reportedly testing a disc-to-digital license system for Xbox libraries ahead of Project Helix, underscoring that Sony has yet to outline a comparable workaround.