The Setup
Faye’s funeral was the opening image of God of War (2018). Players spent that entire game — and much of Ragnarök — piecing together who she was. Now Santa Monica Studio is answering that question directly. After her death, Faye awakens in a place called the Everywhen: the afterlife of the gods, a transcendent realm that sits above the Nine Realms and where all magic both originates and eventually returns.
The problem: she was not supposed to be there. The plans Faye left behind to protect Kratos and Atreus are now at risk, and leaving the Everywhen is far from straightforward. The natural flow of magic in the realm has been disrupted, making escape all but impossible. Gods from Norse, Egyptian, and Tibetan mythologies fight for dominance in this space, and none of them welcome a new arrival.
“Death was supposed to be the end, but for Laufey (Faye), warrior and wife to Kratos, a new adventure is just beginning.”
Santa Monica Studio’s Head of Creative Cory Barlog and Game Director Ariel Lawrence sat down for an extended interview discussing the reveal, how the idea of a Faye-centred game first came to be, and the long-term creative direction for the franchise. This is the team’s most overt pivot since the 2018 soft reboot, trading the Greek pantheon for Norse mythology — and now trading Kratos for the woman who shaped the Norse saga from behind the scenes. Fans following the wider 2026 PlayStation release slate will note this sits alongside a notably busy period for PS5 exclusives.
Explore God of War Laufey
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Santa Monica Studio built Faye’s combat from the ground up to feel distinct from Kratos. The studio described the goal as combining the fluidity and movement of the Greek era God of War games with the close-character world-building of the Norse era, while Faye moves freely between ground and air without interrupting the action.
Faye transitions between ground and air without halting the action, enabling non-stop aerial combos and giving her significantly more offensive and defensive options than a ground-locked fighter.
As the Golden Hand of the Jötnar, Faye can strike with her golden palm and literally detach a foe’s soul from its body. She can then attack the soul directly, launch it into other enemies, and chain combos from it — abilities amplified by the Everywhen’s ancient magic.
Faye is the previous owner of the Leviathan Axe — she is no stranger to legendary weapons. In the Everywhen, she earns the trust of Rue to wield a devastatingly powerful sword. Speed, control, and relentlessness define how it plays.
Combat is built around building and maintaining momentum from one attack to the next. Interrupting the flow is penalised; sustaining it rewards players with increasingly powerful chain strikes.
What Is the Everywhen?
The Everywhen is described as the birthplace and endpoint of all magic — a transcendent realm that sits above the Nine Realms and all other known afterlives. It is where gods from entirely different mythologies coexist, not always peacefully. Odin spent his final years haunted by prophecy and obsessively searching for knowledge of this exact place — something beyond the afterlives available to mortals. God of War Laufey provides the answer to what he was looking for.
Paradise or Prison?
Faye wakes in the Everywhen unexpectedly and discovers that escaping is far harder than it should be — the natural flow of magic has been disrupted. The realm functions as a mystery she must unravel. Hidden truths about its true nature are scattered throughout the journey, and finding them is Faye’s only path home. The studio has confirmed she will encounter both friendly and hostile beings native to the Everywhen, as well as gods from multiple mythological traditions.
Why It Matters for the Lore
The Everywhen answers a question God of War has been building toward since 2018: what happens to gods after they die? The realm creates space for entirely new mythologies to enter the franchise without contradicting the events of the Norse saga. Santa Monica Studio has been clear that this is a full mainline chapter, not an elseworlds story — meaning what happens here is canon.
Magic Amplified
Faye’s Jötnar soul-manipulation abilities — already formidable in the living world — are dramatically amplified inside the Everywhen, a realm steeped in the oldest magic in existence. This is the mechanical and narrative justification for her expanded power set. The Giants of Jötunheim were feared even by Odin for their magical prowess; in the Everywhen, Faye accesses the deepest levels of that heritage. Fans following the broader PS5 2026 release calendar will note God of War Laufey is among the most anticipated unscheduled titles.
The Everywhen pulls gods from multiple real-world mythological traditions into one space. Santa Monica Studio has confirmed two antagonists from outside the Norse tradition, with more expected. Here is what has been officially revealed so far:
Faye as a Fighter
As the Golden Hand of the Jötnar — the most powerful protector of the Giants — Faye wielded fearsome abilities even before the Everywhen amplified them. The studio confirmed she was equal in battle to Thor, one of the strongest gods in the Nine Realms. Her soul-manipulation powers are central to the combat loop: she can strike with her golden palm hard enough to physically separate a foe’s soul from their body, then attack that soul directly, knock it into other enemies, and chain combos. Fans also following other major action titles on PS5 will find Faye’s combat a notable departure from the slower, heavier style Kratos has made familiar.
Her primary weapon is a blade she earns through the trust of Rue, its enchanted guardian. As the previous owner of the Leviathan Axe before it was passed to Kratos, Faye’s relationship with powerful weapons is already part of her established lore. Speed, control, and relentlessness are the three words Santa Monica Studio used to describe how the sword feels in play. The goal throughout development has been to maximise lethality, power, and fluidity simultaneously — a different kind of God of War game built around a different kind of warrior.
Wishlist God of War Laufey
The game is available to wishlist right now on the PlayStation Store. No release date has been confirmed. Santa Monica Studio has said more details about the Everywhen and Faye’s full toolkit will be shared closer to launch.
PlayStation Blog Reveal More PS5 ReleasesIn Summary
God of War Laufey was announced on June 2, 2026 at PlayStation’s State of Play. The game was covered above in terms of its confirmed premise, cast, combat mechanics, setting, and franchise context. Faye’s role as playable protagonist, the Everywhen as the primary setting, and the cross-mythological scope of the cast were all outlined based on the official PlayStation Blog reveal and the accompanying gameplay demonstration. The game is currently in development for PlayStation 5 with no release date confirmed.