God of War Laufey Screenshot Shows Kratos in Ancient Greece, Sparking Fan Theories

What's Kratos doing in Ancient Greece in a game where he's supposed to be dead and gone? That's the question fans are asking after a new God of War Laufey screenshot dropped today via the PlayStation blog, alongside details of preorder bonuses and the digital deluxe edition.

The image shows Laufey, the game's heroine, standing with Kratos in what looks like a Greek temple. But here's the twist: Laufey is supposed to be dead and separated from Kratos, and she never visited Ancient Greece during his time there—which happened long before they met. So what's going on?

Well, we already know Kratos appears at the beginning of the game. In footage from the June reveal, we saw him burning Laufey's body on a funeral pyre (the opening of 2018's God of War). Later, Laufey reawakens in the Everywhen—a heavenly afterlife for gods of all mythologies—and Kratos visits her there in a moment of need. But that scene left it unclear if Kratos would feature further. Today's screenshot answers that, but raises more questions.

Which version of Kratos is this? Is it the living Kratos from the 2018 game and Ragnarök? If so, when does this take place in his timeline? Or could this be a version that also ended up in the Everywhen after his eventual death? And what about the Ancient Greek setting? Is this a corner of the Everywhen themed around Greek mythology? Will other familiar faces from the original God of War trilogy show up?

Fans on ResetEra are already debating. "Where the hell are they?" wrote Iluminado_Horn. "In Greece? After Ragnarok?" Another user, Patitoloco, offered a theory: "Laufey dreams/hallucinates of Kratos, it was shown on the gameplay reveal. This could be anywhere in the game, or a flashback."

And let's not forget the beard. Kratos' exquisitely bushy beard has been rendered in fine detail on PlayStation 5 Pro, earning praise from fans. It's not our first look at the game running on PS5 Pro, but it's certainly impressive.

God of War Laufey launches exclusively for PlayStation 5 on February 16, 2027. What do you think is going on with Kratos in Ancient Greece? Will you be picking this up?