Santa Monica Studio revealed God of War Laufey — the first mainline entry not led by Kratos. you play Faye, who until now existed almost entirely as a plot device, waking up after her own funeral.
Sony just made the boldest call in its first-party lineup: the next mainline God of War doesn't star Kratos. Revealed at State of Play on June 2, 2026 with a roughly 20-minute gameplay showcase, God of War Laufey puts you in control of Faye — Kratos' late wife, the character whose funeral literally opens the 2018 game and whose ashes drive the entire Norse saga. She has been, until now, the series' most important plot device. She's now its protagonist.
Santa Monica
Studio
the mainline God of War team
Faye / Laufey
Protagonist
first mainline entry without Kratos
'the Everywhen'
Setting
the afterlife of the gods
not announced
Release date
reveal only — no window given
What was actually shown
Faye awakens after her own funeral in 'the Everywhen' — described as the afterlife of the gods — and fights deities drawn from across mythologies, not just the Norse pantheon the last two games lived in. Deborah Ann Woll voices her. That multi-mythology framing is the most interesting structural hint: the Greek saga and the Norse saga were each locked to one pantheon, and an afterlife hub that spans them all is a neat device for going anywhere the series wants next.
Why this is a genuine risk
God of War is Sony's most valuable single-player property, and Kratos is one of gaming's most recognisable characters. Recasting the lead is the kind of decision that either revitalises a series or fractures its audience — there's not much middle ground. The upside is obvious: after two games of Kratos as a grieving, restrained father, the well of 'stoic dad' storytelling is fairly deep-drilled, and Faye is a character the writing has spent two games making people curious about without ever letting them play as her. The reveal trailer pulled around 7.9 million views, second only to GTA VI across the summer showcase season, so the curiosity is real.
The notable absence is a date. Sony revealed a full gameplay showcase with no release window at all, which usually means it's further out than the polish suggests. For now it's the clearest signal of where PlayStation's biggest single-player franchise is heading — away from the character who defined it.
