God of War Laufey Announcement Surprises Fans
The recent State of Play presentation unveiled God of War Laufey, a spin-off starring Kratos' late wife Laufey. While the announcement leaked beforehand, it still shocked many fans. After God of War Ragnarök in 2022, the franchise's direction seemed uncertain, especially with the Valhalla DLC concluding Kratos' story. Speculation centered on Atreus or Freya as new protagonists, making the focus on Laufey unexpected.
Actress Deborah Ann Woll Reveals Long-Held Secret
In an interview with Comic Gaming magazine, actress Deborah Ann Woll disclosed that Santa Monica Studio's creative director Cory Barlog pitched the idea to her in 2018, the same year the God of War reboot launched. She expressed relief at the announcement, as she had kept it secret for nearly 10 years. 'He pitched it to me in 2018, and they had known about it before then,' Woll said. 'It’s wild. Like when Cory brought me in to talk about doing Ragnarök and show me the 2018 game, he already had a poster for the Laufey game with me and a cube. A cube that’s been there since the beginning. It’s deeply a part of the lore.'
Laufey as Part of a Wider Narrative Plan
Woll's revelation suggests Laufey was always part of a broader storyline, contrasting with many spin-offs that feel forced. The cube referenced in the poster hints at a long-standing element in God of War lore. Woll teased that the Kratos-focused games will continue alongside this new direction. 'I pinch myself that I get to be a part of this and that I get to lead the charge for a little bit of this kind of new direction. The other direction is going to continue going forward. But we’re going to put a little time and focus on expanding this world and really trying to say, this is us doubling down on the world of God of War. We want this to be huge. We want you to feel like there’s such an untapped universe. And this is just the beginning of a step into some of that,' Woll added.
Future of God of War Franchise
Earlier this month, Barlog teased more Kratos games in development. However, with Santa Monica Studio also working on a God of War remake trilogy, a new mainline sequel may be years away. God of War Laufey currently lacks a release date, but insiders predict a launch in early 2027.
