Santa Monica Studio has officially confirmed that the next Kratos-led God of War game will arrive after God of War: Laufey, with the studio revealing that the upcoming adventure will directly continue the events of Faye’s story. The announcement was made during the God of War Laufey panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2026, putting to rest concerns that Kratos would no longer be the franchise’s central figure.
The confirmation follows the recent reveal of God of War Laufey, which stars Faye as the playable protagonist and launches on February 16, 2027. While the standalone adventure shifts the spotlight away from Kratos, Santa Monica Studio says it is designed to expand the series’ mythology before leading directly into the next major chapter featuring the Ghost of Sparta.
Santa Monica Studio says Laufey sets up Kratos’ next chapter
Speaking during the Comic-Con panel, Santa Monica Studio Head of Creative Cory Barlog explained that the upcoming Faye-focused title is not a side story but a crucial part of the franchise’s future. According to Barlog,
“Everything we are doing in the Faye game is a continuation of what came before and to set up and expand what comes next.”
He added that every element introduced in the game is laying the groundwork for
“something so amazing.”
Barlog also noted that the studio wanted to broaden the God of War universe by exploring unexpected characters while maintaining connections to the larger narrative. The confirmation means players can expect the next Kratos adventure to pick up threads established throughout God of War Laufey, making the title an essential chapter rather than an optional spin-off.
The announcement reinforces comments Barlog made following the game’s reveal during PlayStation’s State of Play presentation in June. At that time, he assured fans that
“there’s always going to be Kratos games,”
emphasizing that the long-running protagonist remains central to Santa Monica Studio’s future plans.
Narrative Director Matt Lawrence echoed that sentiment during the Comic-Con panel, joking,
“We can’t not tell stories about the big guy.”
Meanwhile, Santa Monica Studio also reiterated on its official X account that
“Kratos is the God of War – we have many more stories to tell with him.”
Although Kratos appears briefly in God of War Laufey, including scenes shown in the recently released gameplay presentation, the game primarily follows Faye before the events of God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarök. Early reactions have been divided, with many praising the visuals and combat while others questioned the decision to shift focus away from Kratos.
Alongside these announcements, Santa Monica Studio also confirmed that a God of War Greek Trilogy Remake remains in early development, ensuring fans have multiple Kratos-focused projects to look forward to even as the series expands its mythology through Faye’s story.
