Ever seen a casual comment about an old coworker turn into a full-blown internet pile-on? That's exactly what happened to God of War creator David Jaffe this week, and he's now stepping in to shut it down.
It started when Jaffe opened up about his time working on the original God of War with Ariel Lawrence, who is now the creative director on God of War: Laufey at Sony's Santa Monica Studio. Jaffe, who left SIE back in 2007 to found his own studio, said the two simply never clicked. He described their personalities as very different, saying Lawrence thought he was "annoying" while he found her "a bit full of herself." He also claimed he didn't feel she brought enough passion for the work itself, suggesting she cared more about pleasing bosses and hitting schedules than pushing a creative vision. He even went as far as calling Laufey "dumb" and questioning why Cory Barlog would be involved.
Unsurprisingly, that didn't stay contained. As Jaffe's words spread through the God of War community, some people started directing their anger straight at Lawrence. That's when Jaffe hit the brakes.
On September 29, he posted a clarification making it clear he was only sharing an old personal conflict, not handing anyone ammunition. "I personally didn't like Ariel and I don't think she cared much for me back when we worked together. Oil and water, just very different types of people," he wrote. He even admitted she was probably more liked on the team than he was, joking about his own reputation and quoting his ex-wife's description of him as "a lot."
But the key part? Jaffe said using his experience as a reason to attack Lawrence is "despicable." He pointed out that she's a real person with a life, feelings, and people who love her, and that bullying her over an old workplace grudge is just cruel. He also told people to take a look in the mirror before criticizing others, throwing in a self-deprecating joke about his own beard making him look ready to move to the Arctic.
It's worth remembering that God of War: Laufey has been a lightning rod for online chatter since it was revealed in June, with debates swirling around a female-led God of War and even the appearance of star Deborah Ann Woll. It hasn't reached the levels of some other controversies, but it's clearly been a regular target.
The game is still in development and is set to launch exclusively on PS5 on February 16, 2027. Whether you're excited for it or skeptical, one thing's clear: there's a real person on the other end of those posts. What do you think about Jaffe's response? Will you be picking up Laufey when it drops?
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