Santa Monica Studio has confirmed a physical disc release for 'God of War: Laufey.' Given Sony's announcement that it will cease production of new game discs starting in 2028, this effectively signals a 2027 launch.

On the 10th, Santa Monica Studio announced via its official X account that 'God of War: Laufey will be available on disc.' While it was a brief, standalone sentence, the impact was significant, coming just after Sony announced it would fully discontinue disc production for new PS5 titles starting in January 2028. Although the studio did not answer questions regarding the specific release date, the confirmation of a disc version speaks for itself.

On the 1st, Sony announced on the PlayStation Blog that it would stop producing discs for new PS console games starting in January 2028. However, it specified that this would not affect titles already released or scheduled for release before that date. Publishers can continue to manufacture physical discs for games released through 2027. The fact that Laufey is getting a disc release implies it will arrive before January 2028.

'God of War: Laufey' was unveiled at the State of Play on June 2nd with a 20-minute gameplay trailer. It is the first entry in the series not to feature Kratos as the protagonist; instead, players control Faye, Kratos' wife, who had already passed away by the opening of the 2018 'God of War.' The story begins as Faye awakens in the afterlife of the gods shortly after her funeral, only to discover that the plans she laid out to protect Kratos and Atreus are in jeopardy. Deborah Ann Woll, who appeared in the flashback scenes of Ragnarök, reprises her role as Faye. Known for her breakout role in the drama 'True Blood,' Woll is also familiar to Marvel fans as Karen Page from 'Daredevil.'

The context of this announcement is also worth noting. Santa Monica Studio provided the answer regarding the disc in a post announcing their San Diego Comic-Con panel schedule on July 24th. The panel will feature Game Director Ariel Lawrence, Creative Director Cory Barlog, and members of the voice cast.

The decision to share this information early appears to be an attempt to preemptively mitigate negative sentiment. Since the announcement regarding the discontinuation of discs, Sony's social media accounts have been flooded with protest comments.

The backlash against the abolition of physical discs remains ongoing. The CEO of game retailer PNP Games has launched a 'Don't Kill the Disc' petition. The anxiety sparked by GTA 6's decision to include only a download code in its physical package has now become a confirmed reality following Sony's official announcement.

'God of War: Laufey' may well be the final disc-based game released by Santa Monica Studio, as the next-generation PS6 is expected to be developed without a disc drive.