Santa Monica Studio Claps Back at Domino’s for Dunking on ‘God of War: Laufey’
When PlayStation closed out its latest State of Play showcase, it did so with a genuine bombshell. Santa Monica Studio officially unveiled ‘God of War: Laufey‘, the next entry in the long-running franchise, with the game expanding the action-adventure series by centering on Laufey, also known as Faye, a legendary warrior and leader. Faye loomed large over 2018’s ‘God of War’ despite being dead before that game began, with her funeral and final wishes driving Kratos and Atreus across the Norse realms.
The new title picks up directly after her death, with Faye awakening unexpectedly in a mysterious realm called the Everywhen, discovering that the plans she put in place to protect Kratos and Atreus are now at risk. The game is in development exclusively for PlayStation 5, with Deborah Ann Woll voicing Faye alongside Jack Quaid, who plays Phranque, a curious cosmic cube described as having an earnest disposition who will do whatever it takes to protect his friends.
The announcement, however, did not land without turbulence. The Domino’s Pizza UK account joined the discourse by posting that a ‘God of War’ game without Kratos was equivalent to a Pepperoni Passion with no pepperoni, drawing immediate criticism from fans who pointed to the pizza chain’s reputation for both its worker treatment and its middling product. Santa Monica Studio responded with a now-viral reply, writing simply, “ok thanks for the feedback, dominos pizza corporate account.”
The Domino’s post was not an isolated voice. ‘God of War: Laufey’ has attracted a shockingly mixed reception since its reveal, with criticism coming from two directions. Some players have taken issue with the tone of the game, comparing its humor and banter to a Marvel movie, while a larger contingent has pushed back against the very idea of a mainline ‘God of War’ entry that sidelines Kratos entirely. Original franchise creator David Jaffe also expressed strong reservations during a livestream of the State of Play.
Fan reactions have been brutally split down the middle, with debates centering on the female lead, the absence of Kratos, and the game’s mythology and story direction, even as others have praised the gameplay improvements on display. In response to the criticism, the official account for ‘God of War: Laufey’ addressed the divide directly, stating that Kratos remains the God of War and that the studio has many more stories to tell with him, while expressing excitement to take fans on a journey into the afterlife of the gods with Faye.
Santa Monica Studio has confirmed that ‘God of War: Laufey’ is a full AAA game with Ariel Lawrence serving as game director, while Cory Barlog guides the long-term creative vision for the series as a whole. Lawrence told IGN that the development team drew inspiration from multiple eras of the franchise when designing Faye’s combat style, explaining that while “Kratos is like a brick wall” with a stoic brutality, Faye’s approach is intentionally and distinctly different.
The studio has also confirmed that the series will eventually return to Kratos, framing Faye’s story as an expansion of the franchise rather than a departure from it. Whether Domino’s UK feels vindicated or sufficiently roasted by now is anyone’s guess, but where do you stand on ‘God of War: Laufey’ swapping out Kratos for Faye as the lead?
