Gaming News / PlayStation
The untitled sequel will follow God of War: Laufey and connect directly to Faye’s story. Laufey itself now has a firm release date: February 16, 2027.
At the God of War: Laufey panel during San Diego Comic-Con 2026, Santa Monica Studio head of creative Cory Barlog dropped two pieces of news that reshaped the franchise’s immediate future. First, God of War: Laufey, the Faye-starring spin-off revealed at June’s State of Play, will launch on February 16, 2027, exclusively for PlayStation 5. Second, and more significant for fans who have been waiting since Ragnarök closed out the Norse saga in 2022, a new Kratos-led God of War game is officially in development and will arrive after Laufey.
Barlog did not share a title, release window, or platform for the Kratos project. What he did confirm is that the game will connect directly to Laufey’s story. “Everything we are doing in the Faye game is a continuation of what came before and to set up and expand what comes next,” he told the Comic-Con audience. “Everything in the game is setting up for something so amazing.”
Why Laufey Matters for Kratos’ Return
The connection between Laufey and the next Kratos game is more than narrative bookkeeping. Laufey, also known as Faye, is Kratos’ late wife and Atreus’ mother. She died before the events of 2018’s God of War, and her body was burned by Kratos and Atreus in the opening scene of that game. Laufey the game sends players into the afterlife of the gods through her perspective, and the 20-minute gameplay segment shown at State of Play began with that same funeral pyre sequence.
Kratos appears briefly in that footage, aiding Faye while she is imprisoned. Whether he shows up again beyond those moments remains unclear. Barlog’s comments suggest the narrative threads introduced in Laufey will carry forward into the next mainline entry, making the spin-off required reading for anyone who wants to follow Kratos’ story from here.
This is a notable shift in how Santa Monica Studio is structuring the franchise. Previously, each God of War game was a self-contained chapter. Now the studio is building a serialized mythology where side stories feed directly into the main arc. Barlog described Laufey as “part of the larger tapestry of what we truly really want to explore,” which signals a more interconnected approach to storytelling across multiple games.
The Three God of War Projects in Development
Santa Monica Studio currently has three distinct God of War projects in various stages of production. Understanding how they fit together helps clarify why the studio is taking this approach.
God of War: Laufey is the most immediate. It has a confirmed release date, a 20-minute gameplay reveal under its belt, and appears to be in the final stretch of development. The game is PS5-exclusive and has been described as more action-oriented than the mainline Norse entries, with a focus on fast combat and exploration through the afterlife.
The untitled Kratos sequel is next in the pipeline. No details have been shared beyond Barlog’s confirmation that it exists and that it follows Laufey narratively. Given the typical three-to-four-year development cycle for a mainline God of War game, and the fact that Laufey itself has been in development for roughly five to six years, a realistic estimate would place the Kratos game somewhere in 2028 or 2029. That assumes no delays and that the team is not splitting resources too thinly across multiple projects.
The third project is the God of War Trilogy Remake, announced at February 2026’s State of Play. This is a full remake of the original Greek saga: God of War (2005), God of War II (2007), and God of War III (2010). TC Carson, the original voice of Kratos, is returning for the first time since 2013’s God of War: Ascension. The project is in early stages, with no release date or confirmed platforms. Santa Monica Studio is handling development directly, though the studio may have less external support than originally planned after Bluepoint Games, which had been working on a separate God of War live-service project, was shut down by Sony.
Fan Reaction to Laufey Has Been Divided
The June State of Play reveal of Laufey generated a mixed response. Some fans praised the combat system and visual direction, which carries the same cinematic weight as Ragnarök but with a faster pace. Others criticized the opening section for feeling too simple and, predictably, were unhappy that Kratos was not the protagonist. Series creator David Jaffe was among the more vocal critics, claiming the game shares little in common with prior entries.
The backlash against a non-Kratos lead is not new. When Atreus took center stage for portions of Ragnarök, some players resisted the shift. Laufey goes further by removing Kratos from the protagonist role entirely, at least for this chapter. Barlog has been transparent about the studio’s reasoning: the God of War universe is larger than one character, and exploring other figures within it is necessary for the franchise to grow.
That said, Santa Monica Studio has been careful to reassure fans that Kratos is not being retired. In a June interview on PlayStation’s YouTube channel, Barlog stated plainly that “there’s always going to be Kratos games.” Studio director Eric Williams echoed the sentiment: “We can’t not tell stories about the big guy.” The official Santa Monica Studio X account reinforced the message with a post reading, “Kratos is the God of War. We have many more stories to tell with him.”
What Comes Next
The most pressing question is where Kratos goes from here. The Norse saga concluded with Ragnarök, and while Laufey explores the afterlife, it does not advance Kratos’ personal story. The next mainline game will need a new setting, new antagonists, and a new reason for Kratos to keep fighting.
Rumors have pointed to Egyptian mythology as the next destination, a setting teased in the secret ending of the 2018 game. Nothing has been confirmed, and Barlog has avoided addressing setting speculation directly. What is clear is that the studio is no longer treating each game as a standalone epic. The tapestry language Barlog used at Comic-Con suggests a longer narrative plan that spans multiple titles and multiple protagonists.
For now, the roadmap is straightforward. Laufey arrives in February 2027. The Kratos sequel follows at an unannounced date. The Greek trilogy remake sits somewhere in the middle, with no release window attached. And Santa Monica Studio continues to insist that Kratos will remain the face of the franchise, even as the studio experiments with stories told from other perspectives.
Sources
- IGN: “Next Kratos-Led God of War Game Is Coming After Laufey, and Connects Directly to Her Story” (July 24, 2026)
- Polygon: “A new God of War game starring Kratos is coming” (July 25, 2026)
- VGChartz: “God of War Laufey Launches February 16, 2027” (July 25, 2026)
- GameSpot: “God Of War Trilogy Remake Release Date Speculation, Trailers, And Everything Else We Know” (March 30, 2026)
- Insider Gaming: “God of War Laufey Could Release as Early as February 2027” (June 24, 2026)
- Notebookcheck: “God of War Laufey release date in 1st half of 2027 rumored” (June 4, 2026)
- Santa Monica Studio Official X/Twitter Account (June 2026)
This article was published on July 25, 2026. Release dates and project details are subject to change as development progresses.