The Collector Box for the upcoming game God of War Laufey has been revealed, and it notably does not include a copy of the game itself. This special edition, priced at £130 in the UK, contains a light-up statue of Faye, a 51-card Oracle deck with custom illustrations, and a mini artbook. The U.S. version has yet to be announced, but is expected to cost around $130.
Players will need to purchase the game separately for approximately $70, making the Collector Box essentially a collection of merchandise related to the game. This practice echoes Rockstar's recent controversial $400 Grand Theft Auto 6 collector's edition, which also excluded the game.
The decision for God of War Laufey's collector's edition to deliberately omit the game stands in contrast to issues encountered during the release of its predecessor. The 2023 God of War Ragnarok featured Collector's and Jötnar Editions that were intended to include a download code for the game and a steelbook case. However, some units shipped with a steelbook that contained no disc, and later, some customers found that the download code was missing entirely. Sony did work to resolve these issues, but the absence of the game in the Laufey edition appears to be a conscious business decision.
One potential reason for such omissions in collector's editions is cost-saving, particularly when a game is released on multiple platforms, requiring different SKUs and packaging. However, God of War Laufey is a PlayStation 5 exclusive, which removes this logistical justification. The current approach suggests a strategy to test the market's willingness to purchase premium merchandise separate from the game itself. Unlike the Ragnarok editions which included a disc case without a disc, the Laufey box focuses solely on ancillary items.