The God of War Laufey panel at San Diego Comic-Con was bookended by two huge reveals, but everything in between the confirmation of a new Kratos-led title and Laufey’s release date was a bit of a nothingburger in terms of news. The panel featured Laufey director Ariel Lawrence and actors Deborah Ann Woll (Fey), Christopher Judge (Kratos), Perlina Lau (Rue), and Jack Quaid (Phranque), and was moderated by Cory Barlog, head of creative at Santa Monica Studio.
Going into the panel, I was expecting at least a new trailer or concept art, or maybe more story details. But what we got instead was just watching a group of friends reminisce about old times, which was heartwarming and entertaining, but not what I was there for. We were also treated to the actors discussing not only some of their on-set stories and their reactions to getting cast in Laufey, but also a few awkward bits in which Barlog asked the panelists questions that had absolutely nothing to do with the game, like where they’d bury his body or what each panelist’s role would be in a bank heist.
The panel started with a story recap video, with footage from God of War 2018, Ragnarok, and Laufey woven together. Then Cory Barlog took the stage to introduce the rest of the panelists after “accidentally” revealing that the next Kratos-led God of War game would directly follow the events of Laufey. He then showed off a purple drawstring bag with the Laufey logo on it, which held an art card inside. Every attendee was given one of these, and Barlog explained that they hold important story significance, but elaborated no further than that. The card received by me and others in my row depicted a purple treasure chest and had the number 51 on the bottom; as for its potential story significance, your guess is as good as mine.
From here, the panel shifted into conversations about the actors’ reactions to being cast in the game. Perlina Lau, who plays the sentient ribbon Rue, said she threw her phone out of excitement and disbelief when she saw the Sony email header, while series alum Christopher Judge told a story about how he and his agent were initially uneasy about taking a role in a video game, but changed their tune after reading the script. Judge also revealed that Atreus actor Sunny Suljic, just nine years old at the time, had the final say in who would become the new Kratos.
Next, folks shared stories of experiences from the game’s production that had stuck with them, and Deborah Ann Woll had a great one. During her first day on set, she was using a famous (infamous?) prop from The Last of Us Part 2, one you might know if you’re a golf enthusiast, using it as a stand-in for an axe. She was embarrassed to reveal that during one take, she broke the prop, and felt like she had destroyed a piece of video game history. Jack Quaid recalled just how much fun he had portraying Phranque, who in the game is a green cube, and how lucky he feels to be a part of a franchise he loves deeply as a fan and gamer.
Barlog then started delving a bit deeper into the characters and what they bring out in each other. Describing the bond between Fey and Kratos, Christopher Judge used a corny but apt quote from the Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn film Wedding Crashers: “Love is a soul finding its own reflection in another.” Judge almost spilled the beans on some story specifics here, but instead reiterated just how accurately this quote pertains to Fey and Kratos, saying, “Their journeys mirror each other like their hearts and souls.” Fey and Kratos are two deeply damaged people who see each other’s damage, and Deborah Ann Woll believes this was key in the two gods finding love and acceptance in each other: “I think Fey she is very hard on herself, and she needed someone to tell her she was enough, and Kratos was that person.”
Talking about the trio of Fey, Rue, and Phranque, the actors discussed how symbiotic their relationship is. “All three have the pleasure of seeing the world through each other’s eyes, and this really helps them all grow and change and develop,” said Quaid when asked how the trio functions together. According to Woll, “Fey is the driving force [of the group], but I don’t think any one of the trio would make it alone.” It remains to be seen just how deep these relationships go and what sort of dynamics form, but the reveal trailer from earlier this year did a great job of capturing the attention of curious fans (and some truly awful, annoying ones).
The panel ended with the very short release date reveal trailer, which felt like a bit of an afterthought from Barlog, confirming its release date of February 16, 2027.
