After the funeral
After the funeral
This is not a childhood flashback. The story starts after Laufey dies.
Story
God of War Laufey Story Explained
Read the story setup, timeline placement, and funeral aftermath before moving into larger saga questions.
Last reviewed:
Story paths
Follow the story question that matches yours
Start with timeline, family stakes, or the Everywhen setup instead of reading the whole saga in order.
02
The Everywhen
The afterlife of the gods changes the rules, the danger, and the scale of the mystery.
03
Family stakes
Kratos and Atreus matter because the future Laufey planned for them is in danger.
01Questions
The big story questions
Is it a prequel, when does it happen, do Kratos and Atreus show up, and can you follow it without replaying everything first?
02Realm
Why the Everywhen matters
It is not just a backdrop. The Everywhen is the reason the story can open into gods, afterlife rules, and bigger mythology threads.
03Saga
Where it fits in the saga
See where Greek history, the Norse games, Ragnarok, Valhalla, and Laufey line up without wading through a full lore dump.
04Family
Why Kratos and Atreus matter
Laufey is fighting for more than survival. The story turns on what she set in motion for her family before she died.
Timeline
Where Laufey's story starts
The timeline makes the starting point clear: this story opens after Laufey's funeral, while the older games stay in the background as context.
- 01Official contextGreek saga
What Kratos carries into the modern era
The older Greek games explain Kratos, his guilt, and why his past still matters, but they do not directly tell Laufey's new story.
- 02Official contextSons of Sparta
Kratos youth and Deimos background
This separate Greek-era story adds Kratos background and family trauma, but it is still background context rather than direct Laufey setup.
- 03Official contextGod of War (2018)
Laufey's funeral starts the Norse turning point
Kratos and Atreus honor Laufey's final wish by carrying her ashes to Jotunheim. That funeral is the key living-world starting point for the new game.
- 04Official contextGod of War Ragnarok
Why the family stakes grow larger
Ragnarok expands prophecy, Odin's pressure, Atreus' role, and the long shadow of Laufey's plans across the family.
- 05Official contextValhalla
Kratos after Odin and Atreus' departure
Valhalla works as post-Ragnarok Kratos context. It sharpens where he stands emotionally, but no direct Everywhen bridge is confirmed.
- 06Shown in revealGod of War Laufey
Laufey wakes in the Everywhen after the funeral
The new game starts after death, follows Laufey in the Everywhen, and turns her fight to protect Kratos and Atreus into the main story drive.
After the funeral
What happens after the funeral
Start with the turn from funeral grief to Everywhen survival, before the wider family mystery opens up.
Timeline answer
Prequel or sequel?
Get the short answer on where Laufey fits and why the game is not best read as a simple prequel.
Quick order
What older games matter first
See the shortest useful route from the Greek saga to Laufey without replaying more than you need.
Quick answers
Answer the first search questions
01
Why is Laufey the playable lead now?
Official reveal material says death was not the end for Laufey and frames the game as the untold side of her story rather than another Kratos-led chapter.
02
Is God of War Laufey a prequel?
Not in the simple sense. The reveal treats it as the modern timeline from Laufey's side, not a simple step back into the past.
03
Where does God of War Laufey fit in the timeline?
It branches from the funeral turning point in God of War (2018), then follows Laufey in the Everywhen while Kratos and Atreus continue on their own Norse path.
04
Does it happen after Laufey's funeral?
Yes. Official copy says Laufey wakes after death, making the post-funeral framing explicit.
05
Who is Kratos' wife in God of War?
In the Norse games, Kratos’ wife is Laufey, also known as Faye. Her death before God of War (2018) begins the ashes journey, while God of War Laufey follows her own path after death.
06
When exactly does the new story begin?
Official behind-the-scenes material says it begins at the moment Kratos places Faye's body on the pyre and burns it, then follows Faye as she wakes in the Everywhen.
07
What is the Everywhen?
The Everywhen is the afterlife of the gods, a realm where magic returns, where different mythologies can collide, and where the dead gods are said to return at the end of their lives.
08
Why do the marked trees still matter?
In God of War 2018, the marked trees are the practical start of Kratos and Atreus' ashes journey. For players, they are the clearest symbol that Faye's plan began shaping the saga before anyone understood its full scale.
09
Why is the Leviathan Axe important to Laufey?
Old Norse-saga background ties the Leviathan Axe to Faye before it becomes Kratos' signature weapon, which makes it one of the strongest legacy links between Laufey's life and Kratos' side of the story.
10
Does it connect to Kratos and Atreus?
Yes. The premise says the plans Laufey made to protect them are now at risk.
11
Can you play it standalone?
Yes. PlayStation says it works standalone, while God of War (2018) and Ragnarok make the family stakes land harder.
12
Is God of War Laufey set after Ragnarok?
Not as a clean post-Ragnarok sequel. Laufey starts from the funeral turning point, while Ragnarok and Valhalla sit later in Kratos and Atreus' chronology.
13
Why can't Laufey simply leave the Everywhen?
Official story material says the natural flow of magic has been disrupted, making the Everywhen harder to leave and turning her search for a way home into a major goal.
Previous games
Play path
These games add context, but they are not required homework. Use this as a replay shortcut before going deeper.
01
Greek saga
Kratos' old-god history explains his reputation, trauma, and why his past still carries weight, but it does not directly explain Laufey's current Everywhen journey.
02
God of War 2018
Laufey's final wish sends Kratos and Atreus from the Wildwoods toward Jotunheim, turning her marked trees, ashes journey, and hidden Giant legacy into the engine of the Norse saga.
03
God of War Ragnarok
Ragnarok pushes Kratos and Atreus through prophecy, Odin's pressure, and coming-war choices, expanding why Laufey's foresight matters to the family.
04
Valhalla
Valhalla is an epilogue after Odin's defeat and Atreus' departure. It clarifies Kratos' later state, not a confirmed link to the Everywhen.
05
Sons of Sparta
Sons of Sparta is a separate Greek-era prequel about Kratos and Deimos in Kratos' youth. It works as Kratos background, not direct setup for Laufey's plot.
Story pillars
What the reveal locks in
Shown in reveal
Laufey wakes after death
The story opens after Laufey's death and funeral, with her waking in a realm her old life cannot simply reach.
PlayStation Blog First Look / PlayStation game page
Shown in reveal
The Everywhen drives the plot
The Everywhen is the afterlife of the gods, where magic returns, different mythologies can collide, and dead gods are said to return.
PlayStation Blog First Look
Shown in reveal
Her family plan is the central stake
Laufey's threatened plan for Kratos and Atreus gives the story its central stake. PlayStation now also lists Chris Judge as Kratos in a Laufey cast panel, while his story role remains unrevealed.
PlayStation Blog First Look / Comic-Con announcement
Shown in reveal
Standalone, but richer with the Norse saga
The official FAQ says the game works standalone, while God of War (2018) and Ragnarok add family and world context.
PlayStation game page
The natural flow of magic is broken
Shown in revealOfficial story material says the natural flow of magic is disrupted, making the Everywhen harder to escape.
Finding a way home is part of the main story
Shown in revealLaufey is framed as searching for a way home, not just surviving the realm, and official trailer subtitles repeatedly center that goal.
Old games are context, not direct setup
Official contextGod of War (2018), Ragnarok, Valhalla, Sons of Sparta, and the Greek saga frame Kratos, Atreus, and prophecy. They stay context unless official sources tie them directly to Laufey plot beats.
Faye already shaped the Norse journey before Laufey begins
Official contextOld-series background ties Faye to the marked trees, the ashes route, the Wildwoods home, and legacy gear like the Leviathan Axe, giving players a clearer bridge into why her side of the story matters now.
Open questions
What the story still has not answered
What does the official update confirm about Kratos and Atreus?
PlayStation lists Chris Judge as Kratos in the Laufey Comic-Con cast panel. It does not reveal Kratos’ story role, whether Atreus appears, or whether either character is playable.
How exactly does Laufey wake in the Everywhen?
Official copy confirms the awakening after death, but the mechanism and full timeline rules are still unrevealed.
Can Laufey leave the Everywhen?
Official story material frames the realm as difficult to leave, but the ending and route home are still unknown.
Which mythologies become central?
Sekhmet and Begtse are confirmed, and multiple mythologies are part of the premise. A full Egypt saga or any future setting is not confirmed yet.
Does Valhalla connect to the Everywhen?
Valhalla is useful post-Ragnarok background for Kratos, but no official source directly connects it to Laufey's Everywhen story.
Story sources
Where these story answers come from
01
PlayStation Blog First Look
Best official source for the funeral aftermath, the Everywhen, companions, hostile gods, and the core story premise.
02
PlayStation game page
Best official source for the standalone FAQ, recommended previous games, and the core family-stakes setup.
03
PlayStation Blog Comic-Con announcement
Confirms Chris Judge as Kratos in the official Laufey panel cast. It is a cast-status update, not a plot reveal.
04
God of War official hub
Useful official reference for 2018, Ragnarok, Valhalla, Sons of Sparta, and the older Greek entries.
05
GamesRadar interview recap
Secondary support for timeline framing around the prequel question.
06
Official interviews and reveal videos
Helpful for Laufey-perspective framing and visible context. Official text still carries more weight.
07
God of War Wiki old-game background pages
Support source for Wildwoods, marked trees, Leviathan Axe legacy, Guardian Shield legacy, and other player-facing old-story context that official Laufey pages only mention indirectly.
What the story confirms, and what it leaves open
Keep the funeral setup, Everywhen premise, and family stakes separate from guesses about cameos, endings, or timeline twists.
Shown in revealConfirmed
Laufey wakes after her funeral and her plans are at risk.
Official contextSource context
Older God of War and Ragnarok pages are background, not direct Laufey plot confirmation.
Open mysteryOpen mystery
Kratos is now listed in the official cast panel, but his story role, Atreus’ appearance, and Valhalla links remain unknown.
