God of War Laufey: Faye Takes Over from Kratos on February 16, 2027

Sony has now locked in the date and format for the next major God of War installment. As reported by Gamereactor Spain, God of War Laufey launches on February 16, 2027 in two versions: a Standard Edition and a Digital Deluxe Edition. Pre-orders for both open this Tuesday, September 29 at 10:00 (local time), so the pre-sale countdown is already underway.

Beyond the release schedule, this news matters for another reason: it is the first mainline entry in the series where Kratos is not in control. The spotlight shifts to Faye, also known as Laufey the Just, Kratos's Norse wife and Atreus's mother, who will have to fight her way through Everywhen, an afterlife the series has never explored before. For a franchise that has been tied to a single face for years, this is a huge shift.

What You Need to Know

• Release date: February 16, 2027.
• Pre-orders: open Tuesday, September 29 at 10:00 local time, for both editions.
• Digital Deluxe Edition: adds a full Dark Alchemy set, a resource pack, a digital mini art book and the digital soundtrack on top of the base game.
• Pre-order bonus: Last Wish armor, Phranque Golden Leaves cosmetic and an extra resource pack, regardless of edition.
• Physical release: Sony Santa Monica has confirmed the game will also be available on disc.

What Each Edition Includes

The sales structure is simple and fairly familiar: a base version and an expanded one that exists only in digital form. Here is what each one comes with, based on the published details:

An interesting detail: the Dark Alchemy content includes an axe and bow scales, which hints, at least going by the names, at part of the arsenal Faye will have at her disposal. As for the physical edition, there are no details yet beyond its confirmed existence, so we will have to wait to find out what comes in the box.

A Hand-Off with Real Weight

Throughout the Norse era, Faye was a presence who shaped the direction of the story without ever being the character we controlled. Handing her the lead now is a risky bet and, at the same time, a logical one: the series already proved it could reinvent itself when it left Greece behind, and switching protagonists is the natural next step to avoid repeating the formula.

The setting changes too. Everywhen is presented as a brand-new afterlife, which opens the door to enemies, rules and visuals different from what we already know. For longtime fans of the series, that means learning all over again instead of playing on autopilot.

Our Take

Here in the Underworld Lordz newsroom, we welcome the change of protagonist. A franchise this big could have kept milking Kratos forever, but instead it dares to put the spotlight on a character with real weight of her own. For content creators, this is gold: a new protagonist means months of combat system breakdowns, Everywhen theories and comparisons with the previous era.

That said, not everything sits right with us. Opening pre-orders almost five months before launch with exclusive rewards pushes people to buy blind, without reviews or extended gameplay. And although everything appears to be cosmetic, there are resource packs in both the Deluxe Edition and the pre-order bonus. In a single-player game that breaks nothing, but for the speedrunning and competitive challenge communities it is something to keep an eye on: we will need to see whether those resources affect early progression and how official categories handle it so everyone competes on equal terms.

We are also not fans of the expanded edition being digital-only. Physical collectors are left, for now, without an equivalent option. Our advice: if you are in no rush, wait to see the game in action. If you have already made up your mind, pre-ordering costs you nothing extra and you get the Last Wish set.

What Do You Think?

Faye in charge, a brand-new afterlife and a digital-only Deluxe Edition on the table. Are you pre-ordering God of War Laufey today, or would you rather wait to see it in action before spending your money? Let us know in the team chat or on our Discord.