Kratos' wife Faye is getting her own God of War game

Sony Interactive Entertainment and Santa Monica Studio have announced God of War: Laufey, a new standalone PlayStation 5 game starring Kratos' late wife, Faye. The game was revealed during Sony's latest State of Play broadcast with an extended 23-minute gameplay presentation.

This is the spin-off I didn't expect, but now I need it. Now we actually get to play as her.

Death is just a minor setback

The story picks up right after Faye's death, which kicked off the events of the 2018 God of War reboot. Kratos and Atreus spent that entire game carrying her ashes to the highest peak in all the realms. It turns out Faye was not resting peacefully during that journey. She wakes up in a realm called the Everywhen, described as the afterlife of the gods.

Once there, Faye discovers that the elaborate plans she put in place to protect her family are somehow at risk. She has to fight her way through various deities who are vying for power in this new realm. The Everywhen is populated by gods from multiple mythologies. The recent games heavily hinted at Egyptian, Celtic, and Japanese pantheons existing in the same universe. This afterlife nexus is the perfect excuse to finally show them.

Speed over brute strength

Faye is not a slow, lumbering Spartan. She uses a combat system built around speed, control, and relentless magical attacks. She leverages her abilities as a Guardian of the Jötnar to overwhelm enemies with lethal precision. It looks much faster than Kratos' Leviathan Axe swings. The combat relies heavily on fluid movement and giant magic.

Faye is the catalyst for everything that happens in the modern games. Giving her a dedicated title fills in a massive narrative gap. The core conflict is about Faye navigating this dangerous magical realm to protect her family.

The standalone formula

Standalone spin-offs are a highly successful formula for Sony's first-party studios. Games like Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy proved that shorter, focused narrative experiences hold their own alongside mainline entries. They reuse existing engine technology to tell a tighter story without the five-year development cycle of a full sequel. Laufey is positioned to do the exact same thing for the God of War universe.

The game is a PlayStation 5 exclusive. There is no firm release date yet, but it is currently available to wishlist on the PlayStation Store. The full 23-minute gameplay breakdown is up on PlayStation's YouTube channel if you want to see the Everywhen in motion.