Ubisoft premieres Assassin’s Creed Valhalla video: Cross-gen release confirmed

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will be released during the 2020 holiday season for Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Stadia, and for PC through the Epic Games Store and Ubisoft Store.

The title will also be available on Uplay+, Ubisoft’s subscription service, the company announced on Thursday.

Developed by the Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag and Assassin’s Creed Origins team at Ubisoft Montreal (plus 14 support studios), Valhalla features protagonist Eivor, a Viking raider and clan leader.

Players will be able to choose to play as either a male or female Eivor, and will have access to customisation tools including the ability to customise hair, tattoos, war paint and gear.

Driven from Norway by endless wars and dwindling resources in the ninth century AD, players will lead Eivor’s clan of Norsemen across the North Sea to England.

As the Vikings begin to settle in their new home, they encounter resistance from the Saxons including King Alfred of Wessex, who denounces them as heathens and looks to be the sole ruler of a civilised England.

Ubisoft says the game will feature a dynamic open world set against the backdrop of England’s Dark Ages.

Players will experience new features including raids and growing their settlement. They’ll be able to construct and upgrade buildings that allow for customisation, including a barracks, blacksmith and a tattoo parlour. They’ll also be able to participate in Viking activities such as fishing, hunting, drinking games, and more, says Ubisoft.

Valhalla will build on the RPG mechanics introduced in Assassin’s Creeds Origins and Odyssey, with players’ political alliances, combat decisions and dialogue choices influencing the game world.

The game also features a revamped combat system that includes the ability to dual-wield weapons against a greater variety of enemies, according to Ubisoft. Players can lead raids to select locations using their longship to earn resources.

“We can’t wait for players to experience the incredible Viking journey ahead of them,” said Ashraf Ismail, creative director of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. “Being in Eivor’s boots as both a Viking raider and a clan leader, players will face the conflicts of establishing a new home while in the midst of a power struggle for control of England.”

Valhalla was unveiled in an 8-hour live stream during which artwork by Australian digital artist Kode ‘BossLogic’ Abdo slowly revealed a Viking setting and a bearded protagonist.