PS5's Next Big Exclusive Dated, and It's Closer Than You Think

I reckon Horizon 3 will also be next year. 2027 is already looking great!

Oh, man! That's awesome. I can hardly wait. This and Wolverine are by far my most anticipated games.

Honestly, it was about what I was expecting. Call me psychic, but I didn’t expect this to be a late 2027 release.

Love too see it. Santa Monica is out here running laps around Naughty Dog releasing more than one game this generation. While I was hoping Santa Monica was making a new ip at least this is a spin off with some unique gameplay aspects with Faye. Also kinda cool seeing Xbox’s best studio and PlayStation’s best studio going head to head in the same month.

That's another game for me in February lol.

I'll be too busy with stranger than heaven to really care about what Sony does or doesn't.

@Fishmasterflex96
Yep Sony and Xbox in February with big AAA games.
Come on Nintendo and give us a new Mario 3d game for February 2027.
Just imagine what a month that would be.

With PS5 Pro getting both GOWL and Fable makes it top console.

The start of next year is already looking stacked, you love to see it.

@Nightcrawler71 not happening, guerrilla has already confirmed hunters gathering is the main focus for the studio. I would imagine H3 is 2029 at the earliest, will be a ps6 title

So we've got Tomb Raider, God of War, Persona 4, and Fable lined up for February already? Welcome to September 2.0

@Swandivetotheasphalt Not sure if that's a gooner comment or a feminist one.

@Rezium If rumours are to be believed, RE Veronica could come out around that time too!!

@Nightcrawler71 Horizon 3 SHOULD have been next year. Guerilla gotta curl out their obligatory Concord-like first.

@Rezium honestly many months this year have been stacked, February, April, July, with September and October also packing a big punch, and the rest of the months are not far behind. So far only January felt slow, and from the upcoming months November and December also seem slow besides GTA VI.

Despite all the awful things happening this year in the industry (layoffs, price increases, studio closures, death of PS3 store, announcement of the end of physical media, etc.) lack of good games to play is not one of them.

I believe this is the best year regarding game releases from this decade.

I'm looking forward to it, and Intergalactic, also presumably coming out next year. But I also can't help but be frustrated at the level of mismanagement at Sony these last years when we're all excited for 2027 possibly being PS5's best year in terms of exclusives already if they release both games.

@FreasurePlanten the fact that next year is being considered the best one in terms of exclusives for just two games shows the total mess of Sony handling their studios this entire generation.

@Oram77 I think there is potential for the Witcher expansion around then as well.

Tomb Raider, Fable and God of War Laufey. Maybe I’ll actually hope for a delay.

Damn, I’ll already still be playing GTA, and then Fable will be launching that month. Never thought I’d be not playing a new God of War game at launch, but there’s just too much good stuff to play nowadays.

@johncalmc who's annoyed at playing as a girl? Why do you take notice of internet nonsense? It's a well established fact that when presented with a choice of sex for character model a huge proportion of male players CHOOSE to play as a girl. I know I do. I always play as a female character given the choice. Fem Shep ftw!

If you wanted to make playing as the opposite sex an issue, which it isn't, the statistics show that far fewer female gamers choose to play as men than male players choose to play as women. Men are more open and prone to playing as the opposite sex than women for a variety of reasons so it's total nonsense to say men have a problem with female leads in games.

Nice! I haven’t bothered with ragnarok yet because I got a little bored with the first game. Do I need to play it to get this one?

@Nightcrawler71 the main horizon team are working on hunters gathering aren’t they?

That's pretty much in line with what Jason Schreier had been saying, so no surprise. But good to see it confirmed.

@Shepherd_Tallon nice thanks. I know the wife died in the first game so wasn’t quite sure if there was more lore in the second game.

I am not sure if launching 2 days before the early access for Fable is a smart move. It will hurt sales for both games, but more so for GOW, as it isn't on Xbox/PC while Fable is on PC, Xbox, and PS5. Persona 4 Revival also launches on Feb 18th. I feel like Playground Games will be pretty annoyed by this move when they could have gone in January or March.

I (and many others) will be thoroughly annoyed if Fable gets delayed again because of this PR move from Sony.

That said, I am looking forward to the game, but it will probably be after Persona 4 Revival and Fable.

That day will be here before we know it. 2026 is going by in no time.

@Boxmonkey
Just to add to what @Shepherd_Tallon said, make sure you do the side content quite near the end of ragnarok, in the crater area of vanaheim.
The only way to access this area is to do a side quest called "scent of survival", where you have to follow a dog. This then opens out a whole section of the map.

There is some interesting lore about Laufey in this area, which I can only assume will link to the new game.

@darylb24 How is this a PR move from Sony? Fable's proper release is a week later anyway, or rather, its delayed release for those who don't want to pay extra.

Just after Tomb Raider and before Fable, Feb has too many games.

I'm sure it will review well and I hope others enjoy. Sadly, this is the first time ever I have no interest in a GoW game has a real modernised, "Marvel" vibe and its sickly.

@darylb24 that's a Playground issue. They're the ones who have delayed the game 3 times now. The past 3-4 years have been stacked with releases. No matter when they come out they have to compete with another title.

The key jingling continues.

@AI-Generation can’t do a new Mario, but will a new xenoblade game suffice?

Quick! Shiny object to distract everyone from PSN proving all digital is a terrible idea!

@8bitOG I can guarantee you no one has forgotten about Sony's choice to go all digital. We don't need the incredibly vocal minority ruining every comment section with remarks about it to earn fake internet points.

Go play some of those disc-based games you enjoy before they become coasters and find something new to whine about.

Next Year is already looking much better than this year for games.

So hyped for this game, glad to see it coming so soon!

Wow that was quick. It does have me worried this game is going to be more linear and on the shorter side than the recent games so I probably won’t be preordering it. Not that I mind a shorter more linear game, but I’m not paying $70 for a 7 hour game.

And if you think a game can’t be 7 hours, have you played previous woman with a sword PS3 game “Heavenly Sword”?

https://howlongtobeat.com/game/4370

GoW 3 was also fairly short and linear as well, 10 hours.

https://howlongtobeat.com/game/3978

I’ve only played 2 hours of Splatoon Raiders so far but I fear I may be regretting it soon. But at least that was only $50. And both my kids will probably play it. GoW is a series neither has gotten into, so it’s all on me. And I’m still debating Wolverine day 1. He’s my guy. Only so much coin to go around. Over $3k on my car this week. 🤑

@ElPenitente that's kind of funny that you're whining while accusing others of doing the same thing. Ironic

Will most definitely be playing this day 1!

@rjejr I do hope it’s shorter than the previous God of War games. I wouldnt mind a 15-20hr linear game, 30+ hours is too much for me personally. But I highly doubt this is anywhere near a 7 hour game. I will caveat that its been nearly impossible to predict anything in the game industry lately so i’m not sure of course, but i can’t see this being a very short game

@Nightcrawler71 it might be announced but probably won't release until 2028 or 29. Still have the co-op came they have to release.

You know people, you don't have to buy every game right away they will still be there a month or two later 😅

Must play Sons of Sparta first. I will do it before the end of the year.

@Fishmasterflex96
No, Mario 3d please 🤣

@8bitOG not really. When I start bringing it up in completely unrelated posts, that would be whining. Like what you did with your post.

Have a nice day.

Catastrophic marketing bungle. They learned absolutely NOTHING from Blizzard and their Diablo Immortal announcement.

Everyone wanted real Diablo, aka Diablo 4. Instead they announced a side-show mobile game that went down like a lead balloon.

If instead they'd have announced Diablo 4, and said "in the meantime you can play this mobile game", the reception would have been very positive.

This is exactly how Bethesda correctly handled Fallout 4 and Fallout Shelter.

Sony/Santa Monica royally F'd this one up. They should have announced that they were making a real Kratos God of War game, at the same time they announced the Not-God of War: Laufey spin off.

I'd still argue it should have been a DLC and not a full game, with more resources put into the Kratos game to bring its release forward, but that's splitting hairs.

If the Kratos game hadn't been coming so long after Not-God of War, I think the positive vibe and hype would have been synergistic and it would have sold pretty well.

As it stands though, Not-God of War is going to do far lower numbers than the two mainline Kratos games.

@8bitOG how sad that some people use any article to pivot to the disc story.

Newsflash: "Cure found for cancer"

Outraged Keyboarder: "I don't care unless Playstation carry on with physical media."

That's about the mentality of it at this point. 🙄

@TheSingularity @ElPenitente I'm just not blind to the implications of this decision. True ownership is at stake here. If they can revoke a license or if you're unable to access to things that you've purchased because the subscription service (which you've also paid for) is down - that a serious problem. You may see this as fake outrage, but I can assure you it's not.

@8bitOG If you wanna channel that outrage do it some place useful where you won't be annoying everyone else.

Or better yet, take up another hobby. Like playing an instrument, reading, something creative, etc.

Honestly, there are many better, more productive things people could be investing their time and money into and bettering themselves.

Also, when you buy a game, you own the disc. That's it. The disc gives you access to the license, which you don't own.

@TheSingularity couldn't agree more with you on that.

@ElPenitente but a disc doesn't require PSN to use it. I'm actually enjoy all of those things. I hope you do as well. Surely you have something more productive to do than drum up arguments on the internet

@TheSingularity Always clapping back with common sense, love to see it!

@8bitOG But @ElPenitente isn’t saying a disc doesn’t always require PSN to use it, they were putting across a rebuttal to you first stating in a reply to an argument based on ownership, but you don’t own anything other than the license on the disc. It literally is the same license and the same laws protecting it as a digital copy in a cloud.

So we can all agree we want better ownership rights, fighting for a license on a disc is valid for many, but not remotely legally anything to do with having more rights from a literal, legal only argument.

We can’t keep moving the goal posts. People either want better rights, which means they have to admit they have the same rights as digital using a disc, and get past the bull marketing that’s said otherwise for the sake of selling plastic, or we shall keep going in circles.

Nice. After that lengthy reveal I figured the release date wasn’t too far off. I’ll be there on day 1.

@8bitOG and hopefully you have better things to do than drum up outrage for fake internet points on unrelated topics and articles.

And as someone else pointed out, you're shifting goalposts! Good day.

So, this, P4 and Fable release in the same window...
Well, now we just need Capcom to confirm Code Veronica release date, I have a feeling it will be around the same time too.

@ButteredCrumpet you can't be coming in here with logic and good faith! 😂

@ElPenitente really touched a nerve, didn't I?

@ElPenitente I genuinely don’t know why I try, the amount of people who just glaze over what a disc is, the moment they first bring up ownership and legal rights, then it always hours into the debate later turns out they don’t care about all that and just use it as a straw man to prop up second hand and looking at it on a shelf.

Which is why I tell people repeatedly, use these things you will miss about physical to declare why you love it. I adore nice things on shelves too, but I’m not going to sit here and pretend my Switch 2 game cartridge is any more useful in a post apocalyptic future than a cloud based file. Or that my legal rights are so much different.

@ButteredCrumpet Agreed. Focusing on the disc just distracts from the real issue. Also, criticizing the loss of being able to loan or trade, and loss of a competitive game market is a way better cause than complaining that you had to read a comment that you don't think is relevant

@ButteredCrumpet you can still use the disc while PSN is down. That's my point. And yes, the disc itself is a mute point if we have actual ownership rights. That's really the goal. That's also why it's important to keep the subject prominent

@SpaceGhostC2C That’s exactly it. I really do love so many physical mediums for all the media I love. However, I don’t come to a room full of strangers and declare it legally above their rights knowing for well it isn’t and use that as a basis for my points.

If people fear losing what they value, they need to state that, stick to it and not turn this into some righteous crusade of legal rights, because they’re not fighting for better consumer rights in wanting discs to stay. Not from a legal perspective.

They’re focusing on keeping something they love for numerous reasons, which is amazing and I love that. I just dislike the disingenuous nature of many of the points that get raised.

It divides people so easily when realistically the same laws apply to us all. So we then start arguing over the division we’ve created instead of again, the laws that impact us all.

@8bitOG not really, you're just not getting the hint that all the rage baiting you're trying to feed on is tiring.

Have fun in the adorably all digital future 😘

@ButteredCrumpet additionally, as some have pointed out, it cuts out the entire secondary market of used games. Or simply letting a friend borrow a game. Or getting an awesome gift. There is tangible value in that. If you consider that Sony is already practicing varied pricing, it compounds the issue because no one else is keeping their pricing in check

@8bitOG But I still was able to use many of my digital games yesterday when PSN was down.

That’s the issue, it’s an argument over semantics at this point.

What should be the one and only set of arguments that gamers use now, is removing physical removes choice for a range of demographics of consumer, and we all need better rights.

The medium of holding a license is the focus in all these comments, when it should be the laws surrounding the license that’s the issue.

This, and this alone is why these companies win, as they’re literally out there changing and lobbying for destructive laws and changes to our hobby, and people in these comments want to go “okay well my just as pointless license as cloud is on disc so I’m superior”.

We are all in the same boat, no one in the gaming community is winning right now. So I do agree with you, I really do, I think more choice and rights as a consumer is needed.

But that sure hell isn’t what people choose to discuss at large in these threads.

@ButteredCrumpet agreed. If people want to complain about not being able to grow their disc based collection, or trade in their games, by all means.

As far as I am concerned, that's the only benefit I see to physical these days. Controlling your shelf clutter. A good friend of mine is opting out of gaming when discs end and I don't berate him about it and it's quite obvious why. He doesn't rage bait about it and he stays on topic.

@ElPenitente I've already pulled my card. I'll just buy Switch cartridges

@8bitOG thank you, I'll sleep better knowing now that you've played your hand.

Was really worried for a minute there.

@LogicStrikesAgain I worry it’s too short b/c of how fast the turnaround has been in both the release time between GoW:R and this and the release time between the game’s announcement trailer and its release. Feeling a whole lot like a Miles Morales or Uncharted Lost Legacy situation. Now both MM and ULL were good games, but I don’t think I paid $70 for either one.

I’m fine with 15 hours, though I’d still only want to pay. $50 for that, see Astrobot, but I worry it’s shorter. How much have we seen besides the opening 20 minutes? Anything?

I think they’ve said Wolverine is linear and I feel liek we’ve known about that game for at least 3 years. Though I’m not sure I’ve read about game jungle though, I’m hoping for a long 30 hour. Story in that one, getting to pay as several characters beside Loganto give the game some much needed variety.

@ElPenitente thank goodness.

Really looking forward to Laufey, Wolverine I personally feel a little more concerned about, with regards the enjoyment I shall gain from it.

But I’ll buy both and no doubt enjoy looking at the artistry of them both no matter what, I won’t be rushing to purchase either, as unless it’s a multiplayer game I need to play with others in my group, I never do.

However, looking forward to them both at some point after release!

@Swandivetotheasphalt the fact that you have chosen to widen the goal posts, and include games from back in a different era kind of proves my point no?

Although I’ve no doubt it will be out sold by those older games by a country mile too.

But for now, let’s stick with like for like. It’s going to fall well short of the "modern" games on which it is based.

I wonder if she'll run into kratos' first wife and daughter.

I'm probably about as excited as Fey in the header image. I dunno, I'm just not as excited for Sony's games these days. They just feel like ***** movies with average gameplay spliced in between to me.

@Nightcrawler71 I don’t think so, Santa Monica immediately moved over from Ragnarok to Laufey, while Guerrilla has been making their Horizon live-service that no one wants.

While I have no feelings one way or the other about playing as a woman, I do dislike the general direction the series is moving in. At the point of making a talking cube a major character, I'm kinda done with it.
Also somewhat missing the angry Kratos, that'd unexpectedly brutalise anyone just because it was more convenient to do so, and the new iteration does feel severely underpowered, by comparison.

And while I do enjoy the current combat system and the close camera, it's pretty wild to think how 'revolutionary' just adding a jump can be, suggesting the original limitations. The same was true for Elden Ring, I guess!

I'm starting to wonder if there's no September general SoP. Unless this announcement is to try and distract people from Sony killing off physical media, I'm not sure why they'd announce the release date now when they can just do it in the SoP.

I wonder which number will be higher when this releases, the number of copies sold or the amount of people Alanah Pearce has told she worked on it?

@For-Kier now you're just doing her work for her by telling everyone on here she has worked on it.

Didn't think that one through, did you?

Why does she live in your head?

This will be the first GoW I’ll be waiting on reviews for before deciding to play it. Ragnarok’s level design and dialogue were absolute crap. Cringe inducing, horrendously embarrassing garbage. After Laufey’s trailer I have no confidence things have improved in the dialogue department, so unless they knock the level design out of the park I can see waiting till this hits $9.99 in the bargain bin.

I wasn't expecting it this early.

@Grumblevolcano
The announcement was planned way before the whole physical media fiasco.

But suppose the theory is true, I don't think Sony planned this much ahead, given they also effe'd up a lot of other stuff and this announcement doesn't move the needle in their favor one bit.

Was expecting April-May, mid-Feb is surprising and awesome!

@darylb24 assuming all games are great and review well Laufey will be fine, with it being a ps5 exclusive it’s going to dominate sales on ps5. Fable might be hurt with ps5 sales but assuming both games review well Fable is going to do very well on PC.

@Swandivetotheasphalt if any Xbox game has the potential to do high numbers. It is fable.

@Swandivetotheasphalt yes it’s only on ps5 where they are directly competing on but with fable being a full multiplatform game you have to take the other platforms into consideration. Also will say separate from that Fable if it reviews well and all the other games in this window review well Fable will be fine. Sad as it is for me to say think Metro will be hurt most by this.

@CielloArc That's why I'm leaning more towards no September general SoP. The purpose of the September general SoP is to promote the holiday lineup and reveal news about early on in the following year but:

• Square Enix prefers to use Nintendo to market stuff nowadays so more FF Resonance and DQ Monsters news is more likely to be in a Direct/Partner Showcase than a SoP
• Phantom Blade 0 is already getting its own SoP in late summer
• MW4 will likely have its usual overly long promotion segment at Gamescom Opening Night Live
• Rest of the year's PS5 lineup is already out by early October because of GTA6

Meanwhile on the early 2027 side of things, you have that plenty of them are potential Geoff event candidates and now Laufey has a February 2027 release date. So it feels like Sony may skip September general SoP, use TGA to heavily promote Laufey and then have their next event being the PS6 reveal in like February/March 2027.

@rjejr Miles Morales and Lost Legacy were tight turnarounds. Laufey is launching five years after Ragnarok, the same time span between the previous two games. I don't think Santa Monica rushed this.

I'd have preferred April where the Norse saga kicked off

@Swandivetotheasphalt It's a spin off, so we'll see. Fable has sold a lot in the past and Is highly anticipated across all platforms.

@Dogbreath

Sony/Santa Monica royally F'd this one up. They should have announced that they were making a real Kratos God of War game, at the same time they announced the Not-God of War: Laufey spin off.

No they don't royally fked up anything. They announced GoW Trilogy remake with TC Karson voice Kratos again and also shadow drop GoW Sons of Sparta where you played as young Kratos early this year. They also confirmed Kratos is still the main character and the next main game with him is coming in a video interview right after they announced Laufey. So what else do you want them to do?

And calling this game "not real God of War" is silly. It's like calling Mega Man X / Zero as "not real Mega Man" just because the protagonist isn't Rock.

one-trick pony?

@PuppetMaster "after"

Answered your own question.

I remind you again that a Catwoman or Joker game wouldn't need be called "Batman: Joker".

Only a weak character where the publisher has serious concerns about its market interest and recognition, would need to leech off another character.

If it can't stand on its own feet, what in the name of hell possessed them to use it.

Rockstar could easily announce a game just called "Trevor".

@Dogbreath Laufey trailer almost 20 minutes long. So no, they didn't "royally messed up" if they didn't showed the video interview and confirmation in the same time as Laufey trailer. June SoP final trailer spotlight was for Laufey, not for Kratos.

Your idea of a character can't used other more popular / established character in the title to boost their popularity and market interest / recognition sounds silly af. There's nothing wrong with that marketing.

According to you, Catwoman and Joker shouldn't debut in Batman comic. Instead, DC should just straight make a solo comic about them to proof they can stand on its own feet. Well, luckily back then no one at DC wasn't that crazy to do it or Catwoman and Joker wouldn't became iconic characters.

After made a brief cameo, Wolverine first full debut was in The Incredible Hulk comic issue 181. Luckily also, no one at Marvel back then wasn't silly enough like you to believes Wolverine shouldn't used Hulk popularity for his full debut and make the audience aware of a character name Wolverine.

And we already got video games like Spider-man: Miles Morales, Spider-man and Venom: Maximum Carnage, Mega Man X, Mega Man Zero, Batman: Revenge of the Joker, Superman: Doomsday etc where the main character share the title with other less popular character 🤷‍♂️

Also, if R* announced a game called "Trevor" without GTA in the title, i bet tons of people will be confused and ignored it. Good thing they didn't do it lol.

@PuppetMaster "according to you"

Followed by a load of fictionaldrivel that I never said, but that you invented because you had no answer to what I’d actually said.

It's called a Strawman fallacy.

Laufey has already been introduced but was not noteworthy or popular enough to stand on its own 2 feet as a character.

Anyway, you have completely derailed and trolled the conversation from what I said originally. I talked about Diablo Immortal and how the main line game should’ve been announced first followed by the sideshow title that had less interest. That was the marketing blunder here.

You didn’t want to talk about that and instead invented a fictional conversation that you were having with yourself and not me. Stop wasting my time and tagging me in to the conversation you’re holding with yourself or I will put you on ignore.

@Dogbreath You're the one who keeps yapping on and on for weeks about Laufey "is not a real GoW game" and a character can't used other popular character / established title to boost their popularity and marketing. Now when i used your logic for other characters, you can't accept the fact how fking st*pid your logic is.

Anyway, you have completely derailed and trolled the conversation from what I said originally. I talked about Diablo Immortal and how the main line game should’ve been announced first followed by the sideshow title that had less interest. That was the marketing blunder here.

No one this crazy to believe Laufey is in the same spot as a F2P mobile game.

Stop wasting my time and tagging me in to the conversation you’re holding with yourself or I will put you on ignore.

Feel free to do that. I don't care if you put me on ignore list 🤷‍♂️

@AdamNovice oh okay. You should go tell Jason Schreier his sources aren't as good as yours. 😉

@Dogbreath "I'd still argue it should have been a DLC and not a full game, with more resources put into the Kratos game to bring its release forward, but that's splitting hairs."

And I argue that it should be free, because I argue.

@Swandivetotheasphalt Those numbers don't account for the changes in install base. Working on attachment rate, it looks quite different:

9.7% of PS3 owners bought God of War 3 in its first year. In 2026, that equates to 9.1m units.
12.3m to reach parity with God of War 2018 (13.2% ownership in its first year).

It's not a perfect metric, but far more accurate than the alternative. The franchise has typically been a strong seller.