God of War Laufey Story Explained

The God of War Laufey story centers on Faye — Jötunn warrior, wife of Kratos, and mother of Atreus — as she awakens in the Everywhen, the afterlife of the gods, immediately after Kratos burns her body on the funeral pyre in the opening of God of War (2018).

Santa Monica Studio's official tagline for the game: "Death was supposed to be the end, but for Laufey (Faye), warrior and wife to Kratos, a new adventure is just beginning."

The narrative director explains that everything Kratos and Atreus accomplished in the Norse saga was the result of a plan Faye set in motion — a plan she made before her death to protect them from a fate she had foreseen. God of War Laufey reveals what happens to Faye on the other side of that plan, and whether she can ensure it still holds from within the afterlife realm.

Hear the narrative director explain Faye's arc in Santa Monica Studio's own words in the "Introducing Faye" behind-the-scenes video below:

The Everywhen is the defining setting of the God of War Laufey story. Officially described as "the afterlife of the gods," it is a realm where all gods return at the end of their lives and where all divine magic ultimately converges.

When Faye awakens here, she finds an environment that is simultaneously lush, colorful, and unexpected — not the bleak underworld she might have expected — and deeply corrupted. The weight of countless dead gods and accumulated divine power has made it threatening, dangerous, and inhabited by powerful entities that include the antagonists Begtse and Sekhmet.

Reported coverage from GamesRadar describes the Everywhen as a "cross-culture afterlife of the gods where deities collide" — suggesting that gods from multiple mythologies across human history share this single afterlife space. This opens the door for the game to draw on Norse, Egyptian, and other mythological traditions simultaneously, much as earlier God of War titles shifted between Greek and Norse pantheons across their respective eras.

The God of War Laufey story is deeply intertwined with both previous Norse-era entries. It connects to God of War (2018) as a parallel story — running alongside its events from a different perspective — and to Ragnarök as a narrative prequel to that game's much later events.

In God of War (2018), Faye's presence is felt everywhere but never shown. The marked trees, the prepared journey, Atreus' training — all of it was Faye's design. The 2018 game is essentially the story of Kratos and Atreus executing her plan without knowing the full picture. God of War Laufey shows the other side: what was Faye doing, experiencing, and fighting while they were on their journey?

In God of War Ragnarök, Faye appears through visions, murals, and flashbacks. Her legacy and hidden instructions continue to shape Atreus' identity throughout. God of War Laufey is set before these events — Faye's story in the Everywhen takes place concurrent with or shortly after the events of 2018, well before Ragnarök's timeline.

Santa Monica Studio has not officially categorized God of War Laufey as a "spin-off" — some media outlets use this label interpretively. The official framing is simply "a new entry in the God of War franchise" centered on a new protagonist.