IndustryReported30 September 2026

God of War's original creator says don't use his criticism as cover to harass Laufey's director

David Jaffe's livestream remarks about God of War Laufey creative director Ariel Lawrence went viral and were picked up by people attacking her. He posted that using his old grievance that way is "low."

Update — 30 September 2026

The campaign around God of War Laufey has pulled in another name. Vincent D'Onofrio, who played Wilson Fisk opposite Deborah Ann Woll in Daredevil, replied on X to an account calling for a boycott of the game. The account, which Kotaku identifies as Geralt of Goonia, had written that "Sony's Santa Monica Studio has made their stance clear: They choose feminism over their jobs". D'Onofrio's answer was short: "Not that you asked, but... In no way do i agree with you." He described Woll - who plays Laufey's protagonist, Faye - as beautiful and extremely talented, "as smart as whip and a complete nerd", and incredibly kind, and said he is a God of War fan who plans to play the new game with his son. IGN's write-up frames the underlying complaints as objections to the game's armour sets not showing more skin; the Kotaku piece we read does not describe the armour itself. As with Jaffe's post, the point being made is about the conduct rather than the game.

David Jaffe, who created the original God of War before leaving the series in 2007, has publicly asked people to stop using his criticism of God of War Laufey's creative director as a reason to go after her.

What he said, and what happened next

In the follow-up, Jaffe did not withdraw the personal part. "I personally didn't like Ariel and I don't THINK she cared much for me back when we worked together," he wrote. "Oil and water, just very different types of people." What he objected to was the use being made of it: "For people to use my experience with Ariel as an excuse/launching pad to make personal attacks on her is just low." He described her as a real person with a life, feelings and people who care about her.

The context around the game

Laufey has been the target of sustained pre-release hostility aimed at its creative direction and casting, and Jaffe's stream landed in the middle of it. Lawrence has worked on the series since the 2005 original, where she started as an assistant producer - a detail Jaffe himself pointed out, along with the observation that she was probably better liked on that team than he was. Sony and Santa Monica Studio have not commented.

Why it matters

Criticism of a game and a campaign against the person making it are different things, and the gap between them keeps getting closed by people quoting developers out of context. Jaffe, who is not short of opinions about Laufey, drawing that line himself is worth noting.

Why it matters

A franchise creator separating his criticism of a game from the harassment of the person making it is a distinction that keeps getting collapsed in pre-release pile-ons.