God of War Laufey star Deborah Ann Woll is unbothered by online hate: 'In no universe is it bad'

Deborah Ann Woll, who plays Faye in God of War Laufey, says the online backlash against the game hasn't rattled her one bit. Speaking to TikToker quinnphobic at Florida SuperCon last weekend, she was blunt about it: "Genuinely, I thought I was going to be much more affected by it. But one, I'm not on social media, so that helps, and two, I don't know, I feel totally unbothered — because I just know it's great. It's okay if it's not your cup of tea, but in no universe is it bad."

God of War Laufey was revealed at a recent Sony State of Play and drew immediate controversy from a vocal corner of the internet. Critics have taken aim at the game's new protagonist — Kratos' late wife Faye — its combat style, and a gelatinous cube sidekick named Phranque, voiced by The Boys star Jack Quaid. Much of the negativity has been directed personally at Woll, though opponents of that backlash have largely dismissed it as sexism from a loud minority. Woll pushed back on the idea that the game is ideologically driven: "This is a story about a parent. This is a story about regret. This is about being a better person than who you were before," she said in a separate interview. The game's debut showing included 20 minutes of gameplay, revealing that Faye ditches Kratos' Leviathan Axe in favor of new magical abilities and a sword.

Woll has been attached to the project for years — she recently revealed that God of War 2018 director Cory Barlog shared ideas for the game with her nearly a decade before it was officially announced. Santa Monica Studio has been building toward Laufey for a long time, and while Kratos steps back as the lead, the studio has confirmed he will appear in at least one scene and will return for future entries. The game is a PS5 exclusive with a confirmed physical release, which puts its likely launch window in 2027 — before Sony stops producing game discs in January 2028.

God of War Laufey has no firm release date yet. Director Ariel Lawrence has also spoken out to address skeptics following the reveal, and the broader community reaction has been largely positive despite the noise from detractors.