PlayStation just dropped a bomb and the internet still hasn't recovered. During this Tuesday's State of Play, Sony Santa Monica revealed God of War Laufey, the next mainline entry in one of the most important franchises in the history of video games. And the best of all is that, this time, Kratos is not the protagonist.

Since God of War Ragnarök ended, many fans wondered where the saga was going to go. The answer came strongly and from an angle that few expected: Faye, Kratos' wife and Atreus' mother, takes control. The warrior known as Laufey the Just returns from beyond death for an adventure that promises to expand the God of War universe in a whole new way.

The official description of the game says it all: “Death should have been the end, but for warrior Laufey (Faye), Kratos' wife, it is only the beginning of a new adventure.” It's hard not to get goosebumps with that premise.

Faye wakes up in the afterlife and plans to protect her family are at risk.

The trailer opens with an emotionally charged image: Faye's funeral pyre, while Kratos' voice is heard telling her that she is now free. But freedom doesn't last long. Faye wakes up unexpectedly in a strange place completely foreign to the kingdoms we know from the Norse saga.

That place is called Everywhen, and it's one of the most fascinating concepts Santa Monica has ever introduced. It is not a simple underworld. It is the point of origin and final destination to which all magic returns, a kind of transcendent plane that exists above all known realms. And what makes this place even more interesting is that it directly answers a question that obsessed Odin throughout Ragnarök: what happens to the gods when they die?

Faye quickly discovers that the plans she had made to protect Kratos and Atreus since their absence are in danger. So even though he just died, he has no time to rest. To save those he loves, he must force his way through the Everywhen, a realm where ruthless gods from various mythologies compete for power amid a land filled with dangerous magic.

And here comes one of the most exciting twists in the trailer: the gameplay confirmed that the Everywhen is not populated only by Norse or Greek gods. Sekhmet, from the Egyptian pantheon, and Begtse, from Tibetan mythology, can be seen, confirming that this installment will explore completely new mythological territories for the franchise. The God of War universe just got a lot bigger.

A new combat system with the soul of the classic God of War

One of the aspects that caught the most attention in the 20-minute gameplay trailer was precisely the combat system. Faye doesn't fight like Kratos, and that was exactly what Santa Monica wanted. His style is more agile, more fluid, more lethal.

The development team described the combat as a combination between the fluidity of the Greek era and the narrative and world-building approach of the Norse era. Speed, control and ruthlessness are the three key words that define Faye in battle. Unlike Kratos, she can move between the ground and the air without interrupting the action, opening up completely different combat possibilities.

Additionally, Faye has access to unique soul-related powers, an ability that comes directly from her role as the Golden Hand of the Jötnar, the most powerful protector of the giants. In the Everywhen, where ancient magic permeates everything, those powers are greatly amplified. He can strike an enemy with his golden palm with such force that it separates the soul from the opponent's body, then attack that soul, throw it at other enemies, or use it to create devastating combos.

Actress Deborah Ann Woll, known for her role in Daredevil and Daredevil: Born Again, repeats as the voice of Faye, which guarantees emotional continuity with what we already experienced in Ragnarök.

God of War Laufey has no release date, but the wait seems shorter than you think

Here comes the part that we all want to know and that, at the same time, generates more impatience: God of War Laufey does not have an official release date. Sony confirmed that the game is coming to PlayStation 5, but for now it can only be added to the wishlist on the PlayStation Store.

However, there are signs that generate optimism. The amount of gameplay shown – no less than 20 continuous minutes of live action – suggests that development is quite advanced. Additionally, the game will be present at Game Con Canada between June 19 and 21, indicating that Sony is willing to show it at in-person events very soon.

Cory Barlog, Head of Creative at Santa Monica Studio, and Ariel Lawrence, director of the game, already gave an extensive interview talking about how the idea of ​​​​centering a game on Faye came about and what the long-term creative vision of the franchise is. That's not something you do when a game is far from ready.

God of War Laufey arrives at a time when the saga needed to reinvent itself without losing its essence, and Santa Monica seems to have achieved it. An iconic protagonist, a completely new world, unexplored mythologies and a combat system that promises to surprise even the most veteran fans of the franchise. The wait may be hard, but everything indicates that it will be worth every second.