The unveiling of God of War Laufey stood out as one of the most notable moments from this year’s Summer Game Fest lineup, setting a new benchmark for its State of Play. The surprise announcement immediately ignited widespread discussion, with much of the attention centered on the game’s new main character, Faye.
At first glance, it may seem like the decision to give Faye—who debuted as Kratos’ wife in the 2018 God of War reboot—her own standalone title is a relatively new idea. Still, according to Faye actress Deborah Ann Woll, the plan has been on the table since the reboot arrived in 2018.
Woll, who returned as Faye in God of War Ragnarok and also appears in Laufey, shared during her appearance at Game Con Canada over the weekend that she has known about this independent project for nearly ten years.
“You know, I’ve been aware of this for almost 10 years, and I haven’t had the opportunity to discuss it,” Woll told CGM. “[Cory Barlog] pitched the idea to me in 2018, and they had been aware of it even before that. It’s incredible.”
Barlog, who came back to the God of War franchise developer, Sony Santa Monica, a few years prior to 2018 to oversee the reboot that followed, has since been responsible for the studio’s overall creative direction. Even at the time, he felt a Faye-centered game was far enough along in its potential that he already had a poster prepared for it.
“When Cory [Barlog] brought me in to discuss Ragnarok and show me the 2018 game, he already had a poster for the Laufey game featuring me and a cube,” she explained. “A cube that’s been present since the outset. It’s intricately woven into the lore.”
The cube Woll is referring to is, naturally, Phranque—a clever, jelly-like cube that debuted in Laufey’s longer reveal trailer and quickly became a talking point around the game.
Woll also described a moment about the motion-capture process Sony Santa Monica used. She had wondered whether the system could truly pick up all of her facial expressions and carry them over convincingly into the final game—especially after seeing how Kratos was brought to life in the 2018 release and later in Ragnarok.
“It’s the first occasion I’ve been able to view my work as an audience member without judgment or self-consciousness, understanding how much effort went into it after my part, and I could simply appreciate that—both the technology and the animators; they captured every subtle muscle movement in my face,” she said.
“And I didn’t realize how stoic Kratos is. I thought maybe the technology couldn’t capture subtle movements, you know, since he doesn’t display much facial expression,” she went on.
“But it’s also just part of the character’s nature. So that aspect wasn’t utilized. When I rewatched this one, I was like, ‘Oh my God, every small muscle movement, my eyes, the tiny details they captured and incorporated create a fuller, richer character,’ and honestly, I was amazed.”
God of War Laufey is currently being developed exclusively for PS5. While there is still no official release date, it has been suggested that the game could target a 2027 launch. What is confirmed, though, is that there will be no PC version, since Sony has opted not to bring its non-live service games to the platform.