God of War Laufey's Mongolian and Egyptian Mythologies Explained

Rumors and leaks about a Faye-led God of War game have been circulating for a while now, and the speculation was finally put to rest with an official God of War Laufey announcement.

The game’s story takes place right where God of War 2018 starts. After Kratos and Atreus bury Faye, God of War Laufey takes her on a journey to the afterlife of the gods. As the State of Play finale, developer Santa Monica Studio revealed 20 minutes of gameplay footage to close out the event with a bang. There is already a lot to unpack, too. The 20-minute preview showed Faye in action, introduced companions Phranque and Rue, and even gave a brief look at two brand-new gods. Since God of War Laufey takes place in the Everywhen (Phranque’s cheeky name for this afterlife realm), there is a deep well of pantheons to choose from, and Mongolian and Egyptian mythologies are already being put front and center.

Every Game That Was at the PlayStation State of Play for June 2026

The recent Sony State of Play showcase was stacked with great announcements and sneak peeks, and here is every game that was present.

God of War Laufey Introduces Two New Gods, Begtse and Sekhmet

There were plenty of great moments in the God of War Laufey preview, but the most exciting scene from the reveal was the introduction of Begtse and Sekhmet. The details regarding their larger role in the game are still being kept under wraps, but the footage quickly made it clear that the two hold dominion over a portion of the Everywhen. Despite coming from different pantheons, this duo has joined forces to continue ruling as gods in the afterlife.

What’s That Weapon?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

What’s That Weapon?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)

Who is Begtse, the Mongolian God of War?

The first look at Begtse is super intimidating. While Faye is being dragged by guards through an open-air prison of sorts, Begtse makes his first appearance. He towers over Faye, and his red, scaly body, flaming head, and large fangs make his hulking size that much more apparent. His appearance also marked the first confirmation that this new chapter would be leaving the God of War Norse saga behind, at least a little bit. The story is expanding its horizons, and Begtse being the first non-Norse god hints at a roster filled with powerful and unique deities.

Since this is a new God of War game after all, it’s no surprise that Begtse is the main war god in his respected pantheon. Before he became a Tibetan Buddhist deity, Begtse was a core Mongolian god whose name translates to “Great Coat of Mail.” His red-scale skin makes it easy to understand why that’s his name’s translation. He’s traditionally depicted with a sword and a bow and arrow, which could set him up for some versatile boss fights if his role in the game lasts beyond the first fight revealed in the trailer.

Egyptian Goddess Sekhmet Might Be Even More Terrifying

While Begtse interrogates Faye, Sekhmet makes her appearance. Begtse was intimidating enough, but Sekhmet’s calm demeanor makes her look like an even scarier God of War boss. Sekhmet is the Egyptian goddess of war, but she’s also much more than that. She serves as the goddess of pestilence and destruction, making her one of the worst possible deities for Faye to run into so early on in the Everywhen.

She’s also the daughter of sun god Ra. He created her to serve as a form of punishment to humanity. Because of this, Sekhmet has been referred to as the “Eye of Ra.” She’s traditionally depicted as a lion-headed goddess, but Santa Monica Studio has taken some liberties with her design. Some of the snake-like design elements used for God of War Laufey‘s version of Sekhmet are reminiscent of another Egyptian goddess, Wadjet, who is a cobra goddess that protects pharaohs. Fans have been asking for an Egyptian God of War game for a long time. This may not be a full-blown dive into Egypt, but Sekhmet could be teasing the reveal of even more Egyptian gods in God of War Laufey.

Sekhmet is also shown riding a giant lion-like creature in the preview.

Begtse and Sekhmet are Just a Small Taste of What God of War Laufey Likely Has in Store for Its Story

The Everywhen is going to allow a lot of room for Santa Monica Studio to play around when it comes to magical god-like characters, and two of Faye’s confirmed companions are already interesting additions to the God of War Laufey cast. Phranque is a mysterious gelatinous cube while Rue is a collection of talking ribbons that are attached to the handle of a powerful sword. One of the biggest questions about Phranque and Rue is what pantheon they belong to. It could just be that they are two beings who aren’t fully gods but are still powerful enough to find themselves in the Everywhen.

God of War Laufey‘s preview also made it clear during the fight with Begtse that there is something really special about the sword that Rue is attached to. While Faye fights Begtse with the sword, she remarks that he seems to be afraid of it. There are God of War Laufey leaks that have yet to be confirmed, and one of them has made claims that the powerful wizard Merlin from the King Arthur legend would take the form of a sword. There’s no way to know for sure right now, but God of War Laufey‘s gameplay demo has already proven some of the leaks and rumors true. So, it’s not impossible.

Beyond the Merlin sword rumors, there have also been leaks that claim Tyr is in God of War Laufey as a second playable protagonist. Santa Monica Studio’s first look at the next main God of War chapter has been one of the most exciting announcements of the year, but it will probably be a little while before more details are revealed. Only time will tell if Tyr and Merlin show up. The two would make for some exciting additions to the cast. It’s going to be fun to see what other gods and pantheons God of War Laufey has in store, but getting to see the likes of Faye, Begtse, Sekhmet, Phranque, and Rue is exciting enough for the time being.