God of War joins the woke agenda: Kratos steps aside for Faye

For more than two decades, the God of War saga has been associated with one name: Kratos. The Ghost of Sparta became one of the most iconic characters in video game history and the face of PlayStation. However, Sony decided to break with that tradition.

In the recent State of Play, the company officially presented God of War: Laufey, a new installment developed by Santa Monica Studio that will leave Kratos in a secondary role to put Faye, also known as Laufey, Kratos's wife and Atreus's mother, at the center of the story.

The news sparked a heated discussion among fans of the franchise, especially as it adds to an increasingly common trend in Hollywood and the entertainment industry: replacing established male protagonists with new female figures in historical sagas.

God of War changes course

According to the information presented by Sony, the new game will explore Faye's story in a setting that mixes different mythologies and will serve as an expansion of the narrative universe built during the franchise's Nordic phase.

Combat will still be present, although with a more agile style focused on magical abilities. Additionally, the adventure will incorporate new characters and companions who will accompany the protagonist on her journey.

For many players, the issue is not Faye's existence as a character. In fact, her story was an important part of God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarök. The controversy arises because Sony chose to make her the main figure of a franchise whose identity has always been built around Kratos.

Even the original creator of God of War criticized the presentation

The criticism did not come solely from players. One of the harshest comments came from David Jaffe, the original creator of God of War and one of the historical figures behind the franchise. After the presentation of God of War: Laufey, Jaffe did not hide his discontent with the project and questioned both its visual proposal and the creative direction chosen by Sony.

"That looks like garbage," he stated during a live stream, comparing the game to Forspoken, one of Square Enix's biggest recent failures. He also described the proposal as "uninspired" and "boring," before making an even bolder prediction: "It's dead. That game is not going to do well."

Beyond the humorous tone, the phrase has become a meme used by thousands of users to criticize what they see as an obsession of major studios to replace established characters instead of creating new intellectual properties.

On social media, numerous players compared the announcement of God of War: Laufey with other recent cases in film, television, and video games where companies opted to modify traditional characters instead of developing new franchises from scratch.

The challenge of convincing fans

Santa Monica Studio claims that the project has been in development for years and aims to expand the God of War universe from a new perspective. Creative director Cory Barlog has reportedly been working on the idea since 2019.

However, the challenge will be to convince a community that has been following Kratos's story for more than twenty years.

The initial reception shows that many players are willing to give the project a chance, but there is also a significant segment that believes Sony is abandoning the essence that made God of War one of the most successful franchises in PlayStation history.

With Kratos sidelined and Faye taking center stage, God of War: Laufey is shaping up to be one of the most controversial releases in the coming years.