God of War Laufey vs God of War 2018 / Ragnarök Compared

What is confirmed as different between God of War Laufey and the 2018 / Ragnarök Norse duology as of 2026-08-04.

Protagonist: Faye Replaces Kratos

The biggest difference is the protagonist swap. Kratos was the playable protagonist in 2018 and Ragnarök. Faye is the playable protagonist in Laufey (per IGN and PlayStation Blog). Kratos is not playable — he is voiced by Christopher Judge but not controlled (per IGN). The story opens at the moment Faye's body is burnt on the funeral pyre at the beginning of the 2018 God of War (per IGN), locking the swap into a continuation rather than a reset. Faye's combat is built around her agility and foresight: three pillars (speed, control, relentlessness) and the legendary sword with magic-infused slashes, not Kratos's heavier toolkit. Phranque (cosmic cube, Jack Quaid) and Rue (ribbon guardian, Perlina Lau) accompany Faye.

Setting: the Everywhen Replaces the Norse Nine Realms

The Norse duology operated inside the Nine Realms. Laufey operates inside the Everywhen (per PlayStation Blog and IGN) — the afterlife of the gods and birthplace of all magic, a multi-mythology realm explicitly not Elysium and not Valhalla. The enemy roster pulls from across pantheons; the opening duo (Sekhmet from Egypt, Begtse from Mongolia / Tibet) demonstrates that reach.

Combat Pillars: Speed, Control, Relentlessness

The Norse duology built Kratos's combat around heavy weapons and a light / heavy / runic framework. Laufey builds Faye's combat around three pillars (per PlayStation Blog and Comicbook): faster, more control-leaning, more relentless than Kratos's tools, with a single signature weapon (legendary sword with magic-infused slashes, guarded by Rue) and three moveset paths (fists, soul magic, sword) layered around it. Air-ground fluidity is a designed feature.

Platforms: PS5 Exclusive vs PS4 + Later PC

God of War (2018) launched on PS4 and later came to PC. God of War Ragnarök (2022) launched on PS4 and PS5 and later came to PC. God of War Laufey is a PS5 exclusive (per PlayStation.com and Polygon) — no PS4 or PC version is announced.

God of War Laufey is a continuation that draws on the 2018 and Ragnarök canon directly, not a soft reboot.

Faye Is Established in the Norse Duology Canon

Faye's canon comes from the 2018 God of War and Ragnarök (2022). She is canonically a Jötnar frost giantess, the Golden Hand of the Jötnar, the wielder of foresight, the wife of Kratos, and the mother of Atreus. Laufey is the first time she is playable — until Laufey, her role was off-screen architect and flashback / lore material. Her death opens the 2018 God of War, the legacy event Laufey's story back-projects from.

Kratos and Atreus Are Still Referenced

Kratos and Atreus carry an "important role" in Faye's story (attributed to the IGN cast interview) — the strongest on-the-record statement about what they do in Laufey. Kratos is voiced by Christopher Judge, reprising from the Norse duology. Atreus's on-screen or on-voice presence is not specified. Faye's arc sets up the separate Kratos-led God of War game announced after Laufey (per Polygon and IGN).

Director Lineage Is Preserved

The 2018 Norse duology was directed by Cory Barlog (2018) and Eric Williams (Ragnarök), with Barlog as Head of Creative. God of War Laufey is directed by Ariel Lawrence as Game Director, with Barlog as Head of Creative (per PlayStation Blog and IMDb) — consistent at the franchise level.

God of War (2018) is the only available franchise length reference as of 2026-08-04. Per HowLongToBeat, the 2018 God of War records 20.5h main / 33h main+extras / 51h completionist — labeled 2018 only, not a Laufey length estimate, and not to be projected forward. God of War Laufey length is not announced: no main-story / main+extras / completionist number, no signal of NG+, no chapter count, no chapter-length estimate, and no public playtest length figure.

• "Play 2018 / Ragnarök first?": yes for Faye canon and Kratos / Atreus backstory, but Laufey is built to be playable without prior context per IGN.
• "Is Laufey a remake?": no — new entry. Legacy references are biography and length anchor.
• "Is Laufey Ragnarök's sequel?": yes in release order, but a narrative prequel that opens at Faye's death in 2018.
• "Comparison scope": this page compares Laufey to the Norse duology specifically, not all three God of War games.

None of the items below has been confirmed by Santa Monica Studio, PlayStation, or an authoritative outlet citing them as of 2026-08-04: any shared save system, character import, or progression carryover; any crossover DLC, boss, or cosmetic; any cross-game store, marketplace, or progression wallet; any shared lorebook, codex, or encyclopedia linking the Norse duology and Laufey canon.