‘God Of War Laufey’ Star Deborah Ann Woll Has the Perfect Response to the Internet’s Haters

Sony Santa Monica has spent years building God of War into one of PlayStation’s most beloved franchises, largely on the back of Kratos and his years-long journey through Norse mythology. So when the studio finally pulled back the curtain on ‘God of War Laufey’, a spin-off centered on Faye rather than the series’ longtime axe-wielding protagonist, the reaction online was about as predictable as it gets.

A vocal slice of the fanbase immediately pushed back on the idea of a female-led entry in the franchise, with complaints ranging from the game’s tone to the introduction of a talking gelatinous cube character named Phranque. Faced with that kind of noise following a major reveal, it would be easy for the actor at the center of it all to feel rattled.

Deborah Ann Woll, who voices and performs motion capture for Faye in the upcoming game, is not having any of it. During a signing at Florida Supercon, a fan approached Woll, handed her letters and fan art, and encouraged her not to listen to the misogyny circulating online, a moment that was filmed and later posted to TikTok by user quinnphobic before spreading through gaming circles.

Woll’s response made clear the backlash simply has not gotten to her. Speaking to the fan, she admitted she expected to be far more affected by the criticism than she has been, crediting part of that resilience to staying off social media entirely. Speaking to GamesRadar, she explained that she feels completely unbothered because she knows the game is genuinely great, adding that it is fine if it is not everyone’s taste, but insisting there is no version of reality where the game itself is bad.

@quinnphobic LAUFEY/DEBORAH is turning the heat on you bitches come 2027… iconic by mistake fr… #fyp #karenpage #deborahannwoll #godofwarlaufey #godofwar ♬ sonido original – KATSNEWS

The fan who approached her did not hold back either, telling Woll directly that critics simply hate to see a woman succeed, a sentiment Woll agreed with in the moment. That exchange has since resonated widely with fans who see the backlash as part of a familiar pattern the industry has seen before whenever a long-running franchise centers a story on a woman.

Faye has actually been an important figure in the Norse God of War games for years, established as a powerful warrior in her own right long before this spin-off was ever announced. Woll also revealed that the concept for a game built around the character is not a recent idea at all, noting that series director Cory Barlog originally pitched the concept as far back as 2018, meaning she has been keeping the secret close for nearly a decade.

‘God of War Laufey’ will see Woll’s Faye joined by Jack Quaid, who voices the aforementioned Phranque, alongside Perlina Lau as a talking blade named Rue. The game is being developed exclusively for PlayStation 5, and while no firm release date has been confirmed, Sony has already committed to a physical disc release, which several outlets have read as a signal the game will likely arrive before the platform holder’s disc production winds down in early 2028.

For now, Woll seems entirely unbothered by the online noise, choosing instead to trust the years of work that have gone into finally bringing Faye’s story to the forefront.

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