Santa Monica Studio delays God of War Laufey to May 20, 2027

Santa Monica Studio delayed its PlayStation 5-exclusive God of War Laufey on November 4, 2026, moving the release from February 16, 2027 to May 20, 2027, a delay of roughly three months.

The studio said that it delayed the game, so the team could put in finishing touches and push it to its fullest potential. Santa Monica Studio said it does not take fans’ trust for granted and wants an experience worthy of their passion and dedication. “We will make the most of each moment until then by putting in the finishing touches and pushing the game to its fullest potential.” The studio announced the delay on X, according to Beebom, and promised more updates.

Sony revealed God of War Laufey at the June 2, 2026, State of Play after months of rumors about the game’s existence. Yahoo Tech, citing Destructoid, said leaks had pointed to a new God of War game from the Ragnarök studio before the announcement. The original release date came at July’s San Diego Comic-Con.

Ariel Lawrence directs God of War Laufey. Deborah Ann Woll stars as Faye, Jack Quaid plays Phranque, a talking cube, Perlina Lau plays Rue, and Christopher Judge returns as Kratos. Woll first portrayed Faye in 2022’s God of War Ragnarök, and PlayStation LifeStyle identified Quaid and Lau as crucial characters who assist Faye on her quest, where she also wields legendary weapons during combat.

Faye—Kratos’ deceased wife from his Norse adventures—arrives in the afterlife realm called the Everywhen after her death. The Everywhen is an afterlife for the gods where deities from across mythology fight for ultimate power. She died just before God of War (2018) begins, and her adventure runs parallel to Kratos and Atreus in God of War and God of War Ragnarök. In the official description, Faye awakens in a strange land after her death and finds her plans to protect Kratos and Atreus at risk.

Faye battles creatures pulled from several mythologies alongside a talking gelatinous cube and a talking sword sash. Her combat is more acrobatic than previous entries and evokes Devil May Cry, and she can punch enemies so hard their souls leave their bodies.

Santa Monica Studio said God of War Laufey is not a spinoff and that planning for it began in 2018 as part of a longer saga arc leading to a new game with Kratos and possibly Atreus. The studio is also developing the God of War Trilogy Remake and Cory Barlog’s next Kratos-led game alongside Laufey. Sony Santa Monica confirmed a separate mainline Kratos-led God of War game is in development.

Amazon is developing a live-action take on the 2018 soft reboot, with Dave Bautista cast to play Kratos. Polygon says that because Laufey is Faye’s story, Kratos will likely only have a minor role in the game.

The delay takes God of War Laufey out of a congested February window filled with games displaced from autumn’s release calendar, mostly because of Rockstar’s GTA VI. Engadget called Laufey one of PlayStation’s biggest first-party titles for 2027. Moving to May creates breathing room in an early-2027 slate that includes Until Dawn 2 on January 28 and MLB The Show in March, ensuring at least one first-party game in spring 2027.

Sony announced Laufey at the end of the June 2026 State of Play with a release date around nine months out, placing the launch closer to a year after the reveal. Santa Monica Studio presented a 20-minute showcase for the game at that State of Play before opening pre-orders on September 29. Pre-orders opened ahead of the original release, and both the standard game and Collector’s Edition should arrive on May 20, 2027.

This is not Santa Monica Studio’s first God of War delay: The studio pushed God of War: Ragnarök from 2021 to 2022, while Laufey’s delay is much shorter. Beebom called the delay unexpected after the studio’s 20-minute State of Play showcase in June 2026 and the start of pre-orders.

Since the June reveal, Laufey has faced backlash over Faye replacing Kratos as protagonist, criticism of Phranque, and boycott calls citing a supposed feminist agenda. Vincent D’Onofrio defended Deborah Ann Woll, who called herself mostly unbothered by the reaction.

Former Naughty Dog game director Bruce Straley cited Laufey to EDGE in September as an example of stagnation in triple-A (big-budget) game design. He later apologized on X for involving the team in an industry dispute, saying his point concerned the sector, not the team’s work.