Sony Santa Monica has delayed God of War: Laufey by three months, from February 16, 2027 to May 20, 2027. The studio announced the postponement on November 4, 2026, and the game will be exclusive to PlayStation 5. The developers explained the decision by the need for additional time to polish the project, but some players received the news with disappointment.
Laufey is a spin-off of the God of War series and focuses on Kratos's wife, who died before the events of the main games. The story follows Laufey as she must pass through the afterlife of the gods to protect her family. The game was shown in June, and the action takes place in Everywhen, a world that is central to this story. It is precisely because of this story that the spin-off is seen as a separate look at the series, rather than merely an addition to the main Kratos storyline.
Fans' dissatisfaction is also tied to the calendar. February 2027 was already crowded with major releases from competitors, including Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, Fable, and Final Fantasy 14: Evercold. For players who were waiting for the game in February, the new date means a longer wait. At the same time, the shift to May gives the project less competition at launch, which may matter for its visibility among audiences.
Series creator Cory Barlog has stated that a sequel starring Kratos will follow Laufey. No details about the sequel have been made public yet, so any assumptions about its date or content remain unconfirmed. Kratos's absence from the spin-off itself has been one of the reasons some of the community reacted sharply even before the delay was announced.
A separate controversy has already arisen around the project. Deborah Ann Woll, who voices Laufey, faced a wave of criticism precisely because Kratos is not the main character of the game. Vincent D'Onofrio publicly supported the actress and defended her against the attacks. This episode showed how emotionally the audience responds to the distribution of roles and the focus of new installments in the series.