God of War Creator Slams Laufey Director—Then Warns Fans Against Personal Attacks

David Jaffe, creator, co-writer and director of the original "God of War," has stirred controversy in the gaming community after publicly criticizing "God of War: Laufey" Game Director Ariel Lawrence.

As the backlash grew, however, Jaffe pushed back on fans targeting Lawrence and stressed that his negative experiences working with her did not justify online harassment.

Jaffe addressed his history with Lawrence during a recent livestream:

The clip quickly circulated online:

After his remarks went viral, Jaffe posted a follow-up on X, formerly Twitter:

He urged users not to turn a professional disagreement into personal harassment:

"God of War: Laufey" has faced online controversy since its reveal, including attacks targeting Deborah Ann Woll’s appearance and the game’s female-led development team.

Former "The Last of Us" director Bruce Straley also previously cited the game while criticizing the lack of innovation in modern AAA development, but later publicly apologized.

"God of War: Laufey" launches for PS5 on February 16, 2027.