God of War Laufey Looks Set to Expand the Franchise with a Bigger Story and Wider Mythology

God of War Laufey is quickly becoming one of the more compelling upcoming entries in the God of War franchise, especially because the game appears to be doing much more than simply telling another story in the series. Following what was shown during the State of Play, additional information from leaks and insiders has begun to clarify what Santa Monica Studio could be planning. 

That distinction becomes particularly important when you look back at God of War and God of War Ragnarök. Instead of following the expected path into Valhalla or another familiar part of the Norse afterlife, Faye apparently wakes up somewhere completely different. She finds herself in the Everywhen, a strange realm where the dead gods of different mythologies can apparently exist together.

Faye doesn't immediately understand where she is or how this place works, and she is quickly captured by two mysterious figures. 

From there, the story follows her attempts to understand the Everywhen while growing stronger and fighting through this unfamiliar world. The important part is that Cory Barlog has reportedly been clear about God of War Laufey not being a prequel, with the story continuing alongside the journey that Kratos and Atreus are already taking.

That makes God of War Laufey particularly important to the wider timeline. Instead of going backward and showing events before the Norse games, you follow a story that occurs alongside the existing God of War narrative. 

The game is now expected to arrive in 2027, and the latest information has also revealed several characters and concepts that could become important to its story. Faye is confirmed as the lead character, while her sword companion and the Everywhen itself appear to be central to the experience. 

One of the biggest claims involves Týr, the Norse god of war who was last seen at the end of Ragnarök. Multiple leaks have suggested that Týr could become a second playable character alongside Faye. Considering that Týr is a god and the Everywhen is supposedly a place where dead gods from different mythologies can gather, his involvement would make sense within the game's larger premise.

Another weird feature of the game is Faye's talking sword. Information surrounding the game states that the sword is said to be connected to the Arthurian legend of Merlin. If that is the case, then Everywhen could introduce Celtic or Arthurian mythology into the God of War universe through God of War Laufey.

Exactly how Merlin is connected to the sword remains unclear. He may be the sword itself, locked into it, or merely the maker of it. 

Another companion is also rumored to be joining the game as a gelatinous cube-like creature, but the creature’s identity and purpose are still unclear. Its unusual appearance could also suggest that Santa Monica Studio is experimenting with a completely unique type of companion for Faye’s journey through the Everywhen.

The inclusion of these unusual companions suggests that Santa Monica Studio could be experimenting with the traditional companion dynamic established throughout the recent God of War games. Instead of simply giving Faye another familiar character to travel with, God of War Laufey appears to be using its strange setting to introduce companions that fit the wider mythology of the Everywhen.

Kratos is also expected to remain important to the franchise going forward. According to the information in the latest reports, Kratos could appear within God of War Laufey, potentially carrying an Egyptian weapon. If that’s the case, it would connect Faye’s story directly to the rumored Egyptian setting that could be explored in a future God of War game.

Furthermore, the game is expected to feature multiple pantheons. The reveal has already been linked to Egyptian and Buddhist mythology, with further reports suggesting that Mayan, Japanese, and Chinese mythologies could also feature in the full game.

That idea is arguably the most important part of Laufey's premise because Everywhen provides Santa Monica Studio an explanation for bringing different mythologies into the same universe. This can be a meeting point for gods from different cultures instead of having to create a separate explanation every time the franchise moves from one mythology to another.

The concept could have a huge impact on the future of the franchise, as it essentially removes a lot of the restrictions that were in place around the God of War universe. 

The show has already established that Greek and Norse mythology can exist in the same world, but Everywhen takes this idea even further by introducing a place where gods from almost any mythology can come to exist.

The new combat system is another major change in God of War Laufey. Faye's fighting style is reportedly built around lethality, speed, and fluidity, which creates a deliberate contrast with Kratos' heavier and more powerful combat style.

The gameplay shown so far includes aerial combos, rapid directional movement, and a magical sword that allows Faye to chain attacks together. The overall feel has been compared more closely to something like Devil May Cry 5 than the slower and heavier combat found in the recent Norse God of War games.

That difference could be important beyond God of War Laufey itself. Faye isn't simply being presented as a smaller version of Kratos with a different weapon. Her combat system appears to be designed around speed and mobility, giving her a fundamentally different way of fighting.

Interestingly, the game could also connect to the rumored remake of the original Greek God of War trilogy. Christopher Judge has previously indicated that the remake will feature new technology and a new combat system, and because God of War Laufey is reportedly releasing before that project, there is a possibility that some of the technology developed for Faye's game could eventually influence the remake.

If Santa Monica Studio is building a new combat engine for Laufey, the studio could use the game as a testing ground for that technology. 

The developers would be able to see how players respond to the faster combat, gather real-world feedback, refine the systems, and potentially carry those lessons into the Greek trilogy remake. This could allow the remake to benefit from a combat system that another major God of War release has already tested and refined.

The Everywhen also creates some major questions about the franchise's mythology. If dead gods from different pantheons can all reach the same afterlife, then characters such as Odin and Zeus could theoretically end up in the same place.

That immediately raises questions about whether Odin and Zeus have ever met, what happens when gods from entirely different mythologies encounter one another, and who actually controls the Everywhen. Every major realm in God of War has traditionally had some kind of ruler or central power, so the Everywhen presumably has one as well.

That mysterious figure could potentially become the game's main antagonist. Faye herself reportedly says that she doesn't belong in the Everywhen, which creates another major mystery because there must be a reason she ended up there instead of going to Helheim, Valhalla, or another destination associated with the dead.

Odin's mask could also become relevant to this mystery. Ragnarök never completely pointed out everything about the mask or what it could ultimately be used for, and the concept of an afterlife where gods from different pantheons converge could provide an interesting explanation for its importance.

There is even the possibility of seeing characters such as Odin, Thor, or Zeus again. None of that is confirmed in the transcript, but the Everywhen creates a setting where those kinds of returns are at least possible.

More importantly, the concept feels like something that the franchise could have planned as part of its long-term direction. 

God of War has previously taken its time setting up major lore developments, with ideas introduced in God of War 2018 taking years and an entire sequel to fully pay off. God of War Laufey could take a similar approach, introducing details now that become much more important in later games.

Laufey could be doing something similar on a much larger scale. Instead of functioning as a disconnected side adventure, Faye's journey through the Everywhen could introduce new mythologies, characters, and conflicts that become increasingly important to the God of War universe over the coming years.

That is why calling God of War Laufey a simple spin-off may not accurately describe what Santa Monica Studio appears to be doing. It is more accurate to think of it as a bridge between different parts of the franchise, allowing the developers to explore Faye’s story while also introducing ideas that could impact future mainline games.

The potential appearance of Egyptian gods before the franchise fully moves into an Egyptian setting would be one example of this connection. 

Týr appearing as a playable character could provide another connection to the existing Norse storyline, while Kratos potentially being shown with an Egyptian weapon could plant an even more obvious seed for a future God of War .

Ultimately, God of War Laufey appears to be setting itself up as much more than another chapter that exists on the side of the franchise. Its Everywhen setting gives Santa Monica Studio the freedom to bring together different mythologies, while Faye's faster combat gives the series a new gameplay direction.

With a planned 2027 release, there is still plenty of time for the developers to explain exactly how all of these pieces fit together. But perhaps the most compelling part, for now at least, is that Laufey could be laying the groundwork for the next major era of God of War, connecting the Norse story to new mythologies while possibly testing ideas that could shape the franchise's future.