What to Play Before Laufey

You do not need to play earlier God of War games before God of War Laufey, PlayStation says, but it recommends God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarok first. Their main stories take about 20 and 27 hours on HowLongToBeat.

0:22 You do not need to play anything before God of War Laufey: PlayStation says it can be played on its own, though it recommends God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarok first for the fuller story. Those are the two games Faye's story runs through. God of War (2018) opens with her funeral and ends by revealing who she was, and Laufey begins at that same funeral; Ragnarok shows her in flashbacks and asks the question about the afterlife of the gods that Laufey is built on. On HowLongToBeat, as of Nov 4, 2026, their main stories take about 20½ hours and 26½ hours, so both fit comfortably before May 20, 2027. The Greek games are optional background. This page spoils both Norse games in its recap sections, which are marked. The clip is PlayStation's story trailer for God of War (2018).

Quick facts

Pre-order	PlayStation Store
Required	Nothing; PlayStation says Laufey stands alone
Recommended	God of War (2018), then God of War Ragnarok
God of War (2018), main story	20½ hours on HowLongToBeat, Nov 4, 2026
God of War Ragnarok, main story	26½ hours on HowLongToBeat, Nov 4, 2026
Valhalla (optional)	6 hours main, free with Ragnarok
Where to play them	PS5, PS4, PC (Steam, Epic); PlayStation Plus Extra
Laufey release	May 20, 2027

Sources: PlayStation: God of War Laufey, Nov 4, 2026; HowLongToBeat: God of War (2018), Ragnarok and Valhalla, Nov 4, 2026.

Do I need to play God of War before Laufey?

No. PlayStation's FAQ for the game says it is standalone, and recommends God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarok for fuller context. That fits the story: Laufey's hero is a woman who is dead at the start of both Norse games, so a new player meets her for the first time along with everyone else, while a returning player knows what she left behind. Woll says the game will "feel like you are getting more story" to those who know 2018.

Which order should I play them in?

Release order, which is also story order for these two: God of War (2018) first, then God of War Ragnarok, with its free epilogue Valhalla after it if you want more. Laufey itself starts at the beginning of the 2018 game, so there is no wrong moment to stop; see Where Laufey Fits in the God of War Timeline. The Greek games, from God of War (2005) to God of War III, explain who Kratos was before he met Faye but have nothing of her in them. Other routes into the series are on Which God of War to Play First.

How long does it take to catch up?

Game	Main story	Main + sides	Completionist
God of War (2018)	20½ hours	33 hours	51 hours
God of War Ragnarok	26½ hours	40½ hours	55½ hours
Valhalla	6 hours	8½ hours	10½ hours

Source: HowLongToBeat, players' submitted times, read Nov 4, 2026; they change daily.

The two main stories together come to about 47 hours, or about 73 with side content. Every other God of War game's length is on How Long to Beat God of War.

Faye in God of War (2018): a recap

22:51 Spoilers for God of War (2018). The game opens with Faye already dead. Kratos and their son Atreus burn her body on a pyre and set out to carry her ashes to the highest point in Jotunheim, the realm of the giants, as she asked. On the way they are hunted by a Stranger, Baldur, who learns he is the son of Freya, the witch who helps them; Kratos kills him. Only in Jotunheim do murals reveal the truth: Faye was a giant named Laufey, the giants called Atreus "Loki", and she had foreseen the whole journey, marking the route and breaking the protective spell on their home. The game never explains how she died, as Kotaku notes. Laufey opens on that pyre and follows her side of the story. The full plot is on God of War (2018) Story.

Faye in Ragnarok: a recap

Spoilers for God of War Ragnarok. Faye appears in Ragnarok only in flashbacks, played by Deborah Ann Woll. A shrine shows her destroying an earlier prophetic shrine, which Den of Geek reads as a sign that she wanted her family to choose their own path. The story's other thread matters more for Laufey: Odin, haunted by a prophecy of his own death, is obsessed with what happens to gods when they die, the question Laufey's premise grows out of. Kratos survives Ragnarok, Odin is destroyed, and Atreus leaves to find the remaining giants. The ending is on God of War Ragnarok Ending Explained, and Faye's whole story on Faye.

Should I play Valhalla before Laufey?

2:11 It is optional. Valhalla is Ragnarok's free roguelite epilogue, out Dec 12, 2023, in which Kratos, with only Mimir, faces echoes of his past after Ragnarok. It is about Kratos rather than Faye, and nothing official ties it to Laufey's story as of Nov 4, 2026. It does show where Kratos stands at the latest point in the saga, which may matter for the Kratos-led game that follows Laufey; see Next God of War After Laufey.

Where can I play God of War (2018) and Ragnarok?

Both are on PS5, PS4 and PC, as PlayStation's God of War Laufey page lists them. God of War (2018) is a PS4 game playable on PS5, and on Nov 4, 2026 the US PlayStation Store sold it for $9.99, half price, in an offer ending Nov 21, 2026; it is also in PlayStation Plus Extra. Ragnarok is on PS4 and PS5 and in PlayStation Plus Extra, with Valhalla free to owners. On PC, God of War (2018) has been on Steam and the Epic Games Store since Jan 14, 2022, and Ragnarok since Sep 19, 2024, with Valhalla included. Every game's stores are on Where to Play Every God of War Game.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to play God of War before Laufey? No. PlayStation says God of War Laufey can be played on its own, but it recommends God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarok first.

What should I play before God of War Laufey? Play God of War (2018) and then God of War Ragnarok before God of War Laufey. Valhalla and the Greek games are optional.

How long does it take to play God of War (2018) and Ragnarok? On HowLongToBeat as of Nov 4, 2026, God of War (2018)'s main story takes about 20½ hours and God of War Ragnarok's about 26½, roughly 47 hours together.

Do I need to play the Greek God of War games before Laufey? No. The Greek God of War games tell Kratos's story before he met Faye, and Faye does not appear in them.

Is Faye in God of War Ragnarok? Faye appears in God of War Ragnarok only in flashbacks, played by Deborah Ann Woll, who plays her again in God of War Laufey.

Where can I play God of War (2018) before Laufey? God of War (2018) is on PS4, playable on PS5, on PC through Steam and the Epic Games Store, and in PlayStation Plus Extra, as of Nov 4, 2026.