God of War: Laufey Connects Ragnarök to the Next Saga

Everything revealed about Kratos, Faye, and the pantheon coming next.

If you've been waiting on news about God of War: Laufey, this past weekend delivered in a big way. San Diego Comic-Con hosted a panel dedicated to the upcoming game, and while it wasn't streamed publicly, plenty of details have leaked from attendees. What follows is a full rundown of everything worth knowing about God of War: Laufey based on what's been shared so far.

Let's start with the biggest piece of news: God of War: Laufey finally has an official release date, and you can pencil in February 16, 2027. Honestly, this isn't shocking to anyone who's been following the game closely. Rumors have circled that date for a long time, and the footage shown during Summer Game Fest already looked polished enough to suggest the game was close to finished.

Given how long this project has reportedly been in development, a release window this soon tracks. What you won't find yet, though, is any confirmation of special editions. There's no word on a Digital Deluxe version or anything resembling the Jötnar Edition that shipped alongside Ragnarök.

That could change closer to launch, but as of now, nothing's been locked in. It's worth keeping an eye on, especially since Insomniac's Marvel's Wolverine is reportedly only getting a Standard and a Digital Deluxe edition, which some are reading as a sign that Sony is shifting toward digital-first releases starting in January 2028. Whether that trend applies to God of War: Laufey remains to be seen, but it's an interesting detail to file away.

Before the panel even got into character specifics, attendees were hit with a much bigger reveal: another entry in the franchise is already in the works, and it will directly follow the story of both Ragnarök and Laufey. Director Cory Barlog reportedly explained that everything happening in this game is building toward what comes next, tying the current story into whatever future installment is being planned.

As for where that next chapter might take place, nothing's confirmed, but Egypt keeps coming up as the leading theory.

 It's said to be one of the pantheons the team considered way back when the reboot series was first being mapped out. Adding fuel to that theory, Christopher Judge was present at the panel despite Laufey being centered on Faye rather than Kratos, which strongly suggests he'll be back for whatever comes after this game.

On top of that, photos from the event reportedly show Judge wearing an Eye of Ra necklace, a symbol players may recognize from Tyr's Vault. Between his attendance and that accessory, the theory of Egyptian mythology is looking more credible by the day.

Taken together, the future of the franchise is shaping up nicely. There's God of War: Laufey launching in just a few months, the previously confirmed remake of the original Greek trilogy, and now strong hints that Kratos is heading into a brand-new pantheon after this.

Barlog has also reportedly talked about wanting to keep expanding the world with characters players wouldn't expect to see, so more spin-offs and side stories aren't out of the question either. Now, onto what was actually discussed about the story itself.

Faye's actress, Deborah Ann Woll, apparently compared her character to John McClane from Die Hard.

She described her as a reluctant hero who just wants to get home to the people she loves but keeps getting dragged into bigger conflicts. Early marketing for God of War: Ragnarök revealed that Faye dies sooner than expected, and part of her arc is trying to change that fate, since her early death could still lead to the path the Giants foretold, where the Spartan falls, and his son is recruited by Odin.

With this new information from the panel, though, it sounds like her story goes beyond simply trying to avoid her fate. It seems far more likely she'll get tangled up in the political and divine conflicts spreading across the Everywhen. Bastet and Sekhmet have already been introduced, but there are almost certainly more gods, old and new, waiting to show up.

The bigger question is whether Bastet and Sekhmet are actually running the show or just answering to someone far more powerful behind the scenes, essentially playing the Hans Gruber to Faye's John McClane. Christopher Judge also reportedly shared some thoughtful comments about Faye's role in Kratos's arc, explaining that he always saw her as the reason Kratos started to change in the first place.

According to Judge, the themes of hope, forgiveness, and self-improvement that ran through the first two games trace back to Kratos's relationship with Faye, and his drive to build a better life with her kept him going. That context adds a lot of weight to the "be better" mantra that's followed Kratos throughout the reboot era, especially once you consider how far he's come since 2018.

Given those comments, it seems reasonable to expect more scenes between Faye and Kratos in this game, and not just the golden magical visions players have seen before.

Flashbacks or even a full encounter between the two wouldn't be surprising, something a lot of fans have wanted for a while now. The fights between Faye and Kratos have been referenced in the games, but the actual details of how those confrontations played out have never really been shown. 

Speaking of flashbacks, there's another small but telling detail from the panel. Deborah Ann Woll reportedly mentioned that a prop axe from The Last of Us Part II was brought in during filming, and she ended up breaking it. It might sound like a throwaway anecdote, but it opens up an interesting theory: if this game does include flashback sequences, there's a real chance players could witness the creation of the Leviathan Axe.

Faye was known to have a close relationship with Brok and Sindri, something the 2018 game leaned into, so it's not far-fetched that she may have played a part in helping the dwarven brothers forge Kratos's weapon. Then there's Jack Quaid, who's playing a character known as Phranque the Cube.

The panel apparently confirmed that Phranque has lost his memories entirely and is essentially living with amnesia, unaware of his own past and fully focused on the present moment. Quaid reportedly described himself as someone who tends to overthink the future, and said it's been refreshing to play a character who exists purely in the now. That's where things get speculative.

Phranque could be a manifestation of the Power of Hope Kratos merged with in God of War III to defeat Zeus.

The idea is that all that leftover power had to end up somewhere, and given that the Everywhen is described as the origin point of all magic, it's not impossible that it reformed into Phranque. That would also explain the memory loss, since he would have gained awareness only once his body came together in the Everywhen, similar to what may have happened to Faye herself. It's not confirmed, but it lines up well enough to be worth considering.

That covers most of the publicly known details from the panel. Since it wasn't livestreamed, there's likely more to learn once footage or a full recap becomes available, but for now, this gives a solid picture of where the story and franchise are headed.

One more detail worth mentioning: everyone who attended the panel walked away with a goodie bag containing a single card. One side featured a six-petaled flower, while the other resembled a tarot card, numbered 51, with an image of a chest in the center.

Nobody's entirely sure what it means yet, but based on the imagery and the number itself, there's a theory that it's teasing the Hindu pantheon as a future direction for the series. That's a big topic on its own and deserves a deeper breakdown later, but for now, it's another clue pointing toward where Kratos might be headed after Laufey wraps up.

Overall, this was a strong showing for God of War: Laufey, even without a new trailer.

The lack of a livestream made details harder to come by, but what did get shared paints a much clearer picture of what to expect from Faye, Phranque, and the wider story. Getting a confirmed release date alongside a look at the franchise's future makes this one of the more informative panels the series has had in a while.

Now that the release date is locked in, it seems likely that new trailers and marketing will start rolling out soon. Between the confirmed sequel, the Egypt theory, and the potential Hindu pantheon tease, God of War: Laufey has set up a lot for fans to look forward to well beyond its own launch.