Earlier this week, Sony revealed God of War Laufey, the next entry in the long-running action franchise. But this time, players take on the role of Kratos’ dead wife, Faye, as she explores an afterlife realm for gods and other magical beings. Seems cool, but as you might expect in 2026, a portion of the internet is very mad and grumpy about a game starring a woman. Others are worried the franchise is leaving Kratos behind. That’s not the case, says Laufey’s director, who also hopes people give the game a chance.
In a new interview with GameSpot, God of War Laufey game director Ariel Lawrence was asked what she would say to fans who are perhaps skeptical about this entry in the franchise going in such a different direction. Lawrence told the outlet, “I understand the skepticism,” but said she hoped players would “give it a chance and be excited to play.”
“I want to be as truthful as I can to Faye’s experience and to really show her to be the warrior that Kratos fell in love with, that changed his life,” said Lawrence. “I want to see who that person is and so I hope fans will come along on the journey with us. I’m so excited about the mythological possibilities of who we can meet and the magic that we can get ourselves into going forward.”
“I think for me it’s just, is it fun? Is it an adventure that I haven’t been on before? And I think the biggest thing is just, for us, is how can we hold onto the surprise? I think it’s just so hard to be surprised today. Everybody always knows exactly how it’s going to play out. So I’m hopeful that this is a place where we can still have some mystery.”
However, one thing that isn’t a mystery is the future of Kratos. Some of those skeptical, grumpy fans were concerned that Kratos was being permanently removed from the franchise. The studio has made it clear since Laufey‘s reveal that this isn’t the case, something that Lawrence reiterated to GameSpot.
“I don’t think people should be afraid that Kratos isn’t going to be there for them,” said the game director. “We’ve got the remakes coming, there’s plenty more stories to tell for Kratos, and I hope that everybody allows him to also continue the growth that he’s had for the [last] couple of games.”
God of War Laufey is set to launch sometime in the future on PS5.