God of War Laufey divided opinion pretty quickly after its State of Play reveal. The idea of a God of War game where Kratos is not the main character was always going to be a hard sell for a portion of the fanbase, and the reaction online reflected that. Santa Monica Studio stepped in shortly after the broadcast to clear things up, and what they said should put most concerns to rest.

What Santa Monica Studio Said About Kratos

Series creative director Cory Barlog addressed the situation directly after the reveal, making clear that stepping away from Kratos for one game does not mean stepping away from him permanently. His position was straightforward: Kratos stories are not going anywhere and that has always been the plan. Game director Ariel Lawrence echoed the same sentiment, noting that when she came back to the studio to lead Laufey she had fully expected to be making another Kratos game. The decision to build this one around Faye was a deliberate creative expansion rather than a pivot away from what the series is built on.

It is also worth clarifying something the studio has been consistent about. Laufey is not a spinoff. It is not a prequel. It is the next mainline chapter in the God of War series, running alongside the timeline of the two Norse games from Faye's perspective. Santa Monica is calling it the next chapter of God of War, which is a meaningful distinction.

What Else Is in the Pipeline for the Franchise

Beyond Laufey, Santa Monica Studio is currently developing the God of War Trilogy Remake for PS5, which will retell Kratos' Greek era conflict with the Olympians with original voice actor TC Carson reprising the role. An Amazon Prime Video series is also set for 2027 featuring Kratos, Atreus, and other characters from the Norse saga.

Personally I am genuinely excited to see where Laufey takes the story. Faye has always been the quiet architect behind everything that happened in the Norse saga and giving her a full game feels earned. More than that, I am curious how her journey through the Everywhen will connect to whatever comes next for Kratos. Santa Monica is clearly building toward something larger and right now God of War Laufey feels like the bridge between what we have already played and a next chapter we have not even glimpsed yet.