A collector's edition for the upcoming God of War title, codenamed 'Laufey,' has been revealed, but it notably excludes the game itself. This premium bundle, discovered on the UK PlayStation Direct store, is described as a purely merchandise-focused offering. The centerpiece of this edition is a light-up statue depicting the game's protagonist, Faye, engaged in combat with Phranque the Cube observing. Accompanying the statue are a 51-card oracle deck and a small art book, all presented in collector's edition packaging.
The 'Laufey' collector's edition is priced at £130 in the UK, with a similar price point expected in US dollars due to PlayStation's regional pricing parity. To play the game, players will need to purchase a separate physical or digital edition, which will cost an additional $70.
While some previous collector's editions from Sony have included digital download keys for games, this release marks a departure by offering only merchandise. This strategy is not entirely unprecedented; Rockstar Games recently unveiled a $400 Grand Theft Auto VI collector's edition that also focused on a wealth of physical items. Such merchandise-only bundles typically target dedicated, high-spending fans seeking exclusive physical content, functioning as high-margin items for publishers.
This approach allows companies to potentially streamline supply chains and reduce production overhead by not including the game. The result is a larger profit margin for the publisher while offering affluent consumers limited-edition collectibles.
In related God of War news, the next installment in the series will feature Kratos as the central character, continuing the narrative directly after the events of God of War Laufey. A live-action adaptation of God of War is also in development for Prime Video. The role of Kratos in the series will be portrayed by Dave Bautista, who is reportedly preparing for the physical demands of the character after the original actor, Ryan Hurst, departed the project due to an injury.