Cory Barlog's new God of War game will star Faye and lean into action gameplay

One of Sony Santa Monica's most talked-about projects is finally taking shape. According to insiders, Cory Barlog's new game is set within the God of War universe, with Faye – Atreus' mother and Kratos' late wife – as the lead character. That's a significant shift from earlier expectations, which painted the project as an entirely new sci-fi IP. Trusted insider NateTheHate confirmed this, adding that the game's gameplay will also differ meaningfully from the Norse duology, moving toward a more action-focused style closer to something like Devil May Cry.

The first concrete hint came from a LinkedIn profile (spotted on ResetEra) belonging to a Senior Writer who worked remotely at Sony Santa Monica from August 2020 to September 2025. Their resume read:

"Helped shape narrative vision and creative direction at Sony Santa Monica Studio for a new franchise within the God of War universe, developing characters, storylines, and original lore that expanded the acclaimed IP. Integrated story with gameplay and worldbuilding through scripts and narrative content, collaborating across disciplines to deliver emotionally driven experiences for a global audience. Contributed to long-term narrative and franchise strategy."

That lines up with what Jason Schreier reported earlier – that Barlog's game wasn't technically a new IP, but would feel like one. Schreier also noted that Sony has been looking to expand God of War through "several sequels and spinoffs, like its own smaller version of the Marvel Cinematic Universe."

Egyptian mythology has been the setting rumored most often in insider circles over the past few years, and that theory only gained more weight recently when dataminers found a hidden cutscene in God of War Ragnarok files that strongly hinted at Egypt as the next location.

A few months ago, insider Tom Henderson reported that Kratos would be wielding the khopesh – the traditional Egyptian sickle-sword. How that holds up now is unclear, since if this is truly a standalone franchise, Kratos and Atreus aren't guaranteed to return at all. Faye appears to be the focus.

Current plans call for a reveal sometime this year, with a release targeted for the first half of 2027 – barring any delays.