Where it starts
Laufey begins just after Faye's death, at the funeral pyre that opens the 2018 God of War, as Kratos and Atreus set out to scatter her ashes. Santa Monica says Faye then wakes, against everything she knew, in the afterlife of the gods, and learns that the plans she left in place to protect her husband and son are now at risk.
The Everywhen
- Santa Monica calls it the afterlife of the gods, and the birthplace and endpoint of all magic: a realm above the Nine Realms of the Norse games.
- Gods and creatures from many mythologies end up there, and they fight each other for power rather than living in peace.
- Santa Monica says the natural flow of magic has been disrupted, which makes the Everywhen hard to leave. The studio's own words are "paradise or prison".
- Santa Monica says Faye's goal is to find her way home, and to do that she has to uncover what the Everywhen really is.
- Odin's obsession in Ragnarök with what lies beyond death is the thread the studio ties it to: Laufey answers what happens to gods when they die.
The characters shown so far
Faye (Laufey)
Played by Deborah Ann Woll. The PlayStation Blog and the game's page describe her as a Jötnar warrior: guardian of the Giants, rebel leader against the Aesir, the Golden Hand of the Jötnar, the previous owner of the Leviathan Axe, and a fighter who went toe-to-toe with Thor.
Phranque
Played by Jack Quaid. Santa Monica describes a curious, earnest cosmic cube with deep ties to the Everywhen, who will do whatever it takes to protect his friends and the creatures that live there, and says he joins Faye shortly after she wakes.
Rue
Played by Perlina Lau. Santa Monica describes an enchanted ribbon who guards a devastatingly powerful sword and must keep it from the wrong hands, and says Faye earns enough of her trust to wield the blade. The official page calls her fiercely protective and slow to trust.
Sekhmet and Begtse
Two of the gods Faye will encounter, both from mythologies far from the Norse one, and both hostile to the newcomer, says Santa Monica, which has only given a brief look at them.
Kratos and Atreus
They are the reason Faye fights, and they appear at her funeral pyre at the start. They are not the characters you play.
Do you need the earlier games?
Can I play it without the other God of War games?
Yes, says the official FAQ: it can be enjoyed completely standalone. The same FAQ adds that to fully appreciate the world and characters you should play God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarök, both on PS5, PS4 and PC.
Is this the end of Kratos's story?
No. According to press reports from the July 2026 Comic-Con panel, Cory Barlog announced that the next God of War led by Kratos comes after Laufey and connects directly to her story.
Cross-checked
Cross-checked on 28 October 2026 against the PlayStation Blog (2 June and 28 September 2026), the game's page on playstation.com and its FAQ, and the reports of IGN (2 June, 24 July and 29 September 2026), VGC (2 June and 25 July 2026) and Gematsu (2 June and July 2026). Not from a playthrough: cross-referenced against official previews, and the story beyond the opening is not known. Still to confirm in-game.