Assassin's Creed Valhalla is a 2020 action role-playing game created by Ubisoft Montreal and released by Ubisoft. It is the 12th main game in the Assassin's Creed series and follows Assassin's Creed Odyssey, which was released in 2018. The game is mainly set between 872 and 878 AD and tells a Viking story during their journey to the British Isles. Players control Eivor Varinsdottir, a Viking warrior who tries to build a new Viking family in England but becomes involved in a long-standing battle between the Assassin Brotherhood, who fight for freedom, and the Templar Order, who seek control to achieve peace. The game also includes a story set in the 21st century, where Layla Hassan, an Assassin, explores Eivor’s memories to find a way to save Earth.
Development of the game began in 2017, around the release of Assassin's Creed Origins. Ubisoft Montreal led the three-year project with help from 14 other Ubisoft studios and Sperasoft. Many people who worked on earlier Assassin's Creed games returned for Valhalla, including Ashraf Ismail, who was the creative director for Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (2013) and Origins; Darby McDevitt, who wrote parts of Black Flag and Assassin's Creed: Revelations (2011) and Unity (2014); and composers Jesper Kyd and Sarah Schachner, who worked with musician Einar Selvik on the game’s music. Like Origins and Odyssey, the team studied the time period to make the game world as historically accurate as possible and used Norse mythology for some story ideas. The team also tried to fix issues from Odyssey, such as its overly complex design, limited focus on the Assassin-Templar conflict, and lack of traditional Assassin's Creed gameplay features like stealth.
Valhalla was released for PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, and Stadia on November 10, 2020, with a PlayStation 5 version released on November 12. The game received mostly good reviews for its story, characters, voice acting, visuals, music, world design, and how different parts of the game connect. However, some people criticized it for being too long, having technical problems, and having a repetitive structure. It had the largest launch in the Assassin's Creed series, selling the most copies in its first week and becoming the second most profitable Ubisoft game ever.
Ubisoft added two years of extra content for Valhalla, including free and paid story expansions, new game modes, and events. The game was followed by Assassin's Creed Mirage in 2023, which is set in Baghdad during the Islamic Golden Age and follows Basim Ibn Ishaq, a character who appeared in Valhalla.
Gameplay
Assassin's Creed Valhalla is an action role-playing video game with a main story divided into several key events and many optional side missions called "World Events." The player controls Eivor Varinsdottir, a Viking raider who leads their people against the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. Players can choose to play Eivor as a female or male character (voiced by Cecilie Stenspil and Magnus Bruun) or let the game alternate between the two during the story. The female version shows Eivor’s life, while the male version resembles the appearance of the Isu Odin, a figure connected to Eivor. Players can customize Eivor’s hair, beard, war paint, clothing, armor, and tattoos. New weapons, such as flails and greatswords, are available, and combat allows dual-wielding most weapons, including shields. Every piece of gear collected is unique. A mechanic from earlier games, "Eagle Vision," returns as "Odin Sight." A raven named Sýnin (Old Norse for "insight") helps players scout areas, similar to previous games. Stealth is emphasized, with Eivor able to hide in crowds, feign death, use the raven to distract enemies, and perform quick assassinations with a hidden blade. Most enemies can be defeated with one attack, though bosses require different strategies.
The game follows a familiar structure with main missions and optional side quests. Unlike previous games, where the story moved forward in a straight path, Valhalla often returns to the main Viking settlement and revisits areas as new information is discovered. Some missions can be completed without violence, such as through diplomacy. Player choices affect relationships and alliances with other characters. Instead of a traditional leveling system, players choose skills from skill trees as Eivor progresses. Enemy difficulty depends on the player’s collected skills. The game introduces 25 unique enemy types, each with different challenges. Enemies can use environment objects, adapt to the player’s tactics, and display personality during combat, with some fighting defensively and others aggressively.
A feature from Odyssey called "Conquest Battles" returns as "Assaults," where players lead armies to attack fortresses. Smaller missions called "Raids" let players attack targets to gather resources. Players can recruit non-player characters to join raids and create a Viking mercenary, or "Jomsviking," to help others in the game. A DLC expansion called "River Raids" adds new regions in England for replayable missions.
Player settlements, which had not been in the series since Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, return with new importance. Settlements grow as players complete tasks and build structures, which provide gameplay benefits. Players must lead raids to collect resources for construction. Romance options for Eivor, including same-sex relationships, are available.
Naval travel is used for moving between areas and escaping after battles, but naval combat is less emphasized than in previous games. Players can also hunt, fish, fight in brawls, participate in drinking contests, and engage in "flyting" challenges (Viking-style rap battles). A new dice game called "Orlog" and a building activity called "Cairn construction" are also included.
Synopsis
In the year 873, political problems in Norway cause Eivor Varinsdottir and her adoptive older brother, Sigurd Styrbjornsson, to lead their Viking clan to settle in Anglo-Saxon England. This was part of the Viking movement across Europe. The clan fights with the kingdoms of Wessex, Northumbria, East Anglia, and Mercia over the next few years. They also face conflicts with the sons of Ragnar Lothbrok, a famous Viking warrior, who formed the Great Heathen Army. Eivor’s clan battles forces led by rulers like Alfred the Great, king of Wessex. During this time, Eivor meets the Hidden Ones, who are ancestors of the Assassin Brotherhood, and helps them fight the Order of the Ancients, ancestors of the Templar Order. Cities in the game include Winchester, London, and York. Parts of Norway and Vinland are also shown, as well as dreamlike places like Asgard and Jotunheim.
As with earlier games in the series, Valhalla includes a modern-day story following Layla Hassan, a character first introduced in Origins and Odyssey. The game also includes story elements about the Isu, an ancient civilization from the Assassin’s Creed series that existed before humans.
In 2020, Earth’s magnetic field unexpectedly becomes stronger, causing problems for the planet. Layla Hassan, Shaun Hastings, and Rebecca Crane receive a signal with coordinates in New England, where they uncover the remains of a Viking raider. Layla, struggling with the effects of the Staff of Hermes Trismegistus, enters the Animus to explore the raider’s memories.
In 855 AD in Norway, a young Eivor Varinsdottir sees warlord Kjotve the Cruel attack her hometown and kill her parents before being saved by Sigurd, son of King Styrbjorn of the Raven Clan. Seventeen years later, Eivor is adopted by Styrbjorn and seeks revenge against Kjotve. Her first attempt fails, but she finds her father’s axe. When she touches it, she has a vision of Odin and visits the local seeress, Valka. Valka gives her another vision of Sigurd losing an arm before being eaten by a giant wolf.
Sigurd returns from an expedition with Basim Ibn Ishaq and Hytham, members of the Hidden Ones, who came to Norway to kill Kjotve, a member of the Order of the Ancients. Defying Styrbjorn’s orders, Eivor and Sigurd ask King Harald for help to kill Kjotve. After their victory, Harald announces his plan to unite Norway. Styrbjorn agrees to support Harald, which angers Sigurd, who expected to inherit the throne. He and Eivor leave with loyal clan members to settle in England, where they create a new home called Ravensthorpe.
After establishing Ravensthorpe, Eivor works to build alliances with nearby Saxon kingdoms and Viking clans. She helps Soma, a jarlskona, reclaim Grantebridge from the Order of the Ancients; befriends the Sons of Ragnar, led by Ivar, Halfdan, and Ubba Ragnarsson; supports Ceolwulf and Oswald becoming kings of Mercia and East Anglia; and resolves a conflict with King Rhodri of Wales, during which she is forced to kill Ivar. At Hytham’s request, Eivor hunts Order members in Lunden, Jorvik, and Wincestre, following tips from a "Poor Fellow-Soldier of Christ." Eivor’s search for an Order member takes her to Vinland, where she finds a strange artifact and gives it to the native Kanien'kehá:ka.
Eivor continues having visions. Valka gives her an elixir that lets her dream of Asgard from Odin’s perspective. Odin tries to prevent his death during Ragnarök by trapping Loki’s son Fenrir, who is destined to kill him, and retrieving a magical mead from Jotunheim to allow the Aesir gods to be reborn. Layla realizes these are visions of the Isu just before the Great Catastrophe and learns that Loki, forbidden from reincarnating after betraying Odin, found a way to survive.
Sigurd and Basim discover an Isu relic, and Sigurd, encouraged by Basim, begins to believe he is a god. Fulke, an Order agent working for King Alfred of Wessex, captures Sigurd, thinking he is an Isu or their descendant, and tortures him, removing his right arm. Eivor gathers allies to rescue Sigurd, who has started having strange visions. Eivor later takes Sigurd back to Norway to investigate his visions, where they find an Isu temple with a tree-shaped computer system. The siblings connect to it and are seemingly transported to Valhalla, where they enjoy endless battles. Eivor realizes this is a simulation and convinces Sigurd to return to the real world, escaping after resisting Odin.
After waking up, Eivor is confronted by Basim, who reveals that Eivor, Sigurd, and himself are reincarnations of Loki, Odin, and Tyr, respectively. Seeking revenge on Odin for trapping Fenrir, Basim attacks Eivor but is defeated and trapped in the simulation. Sigurd gives up leadership to Eivor, who returns to England. Later, Eivor and her allies join Guthrum’s attack on Wessex, defeating Alfred’s forces at the Battle of Chippenham. Eivor finds Alfred, who admits he is the leader of the Order and the "Poor Fellow-Soldier of Christ." Disgusted by the Order’s rejection of Christianity, Alfred wanted to replace it with a new religious order. Eivor spares Alfred and returns to Ravensthorpe, where she is celebrated as a hero.
In the present, the Assassins learn the magnetic field’s strength is linked to Desmond Miles’ activation of Isu towers in 2012. To fix the field, Layla travels to the Norway temple and enters the simulation. She meets Basim, who explains how to stabilize the field. Layla succeeds but is trapped in the simulation. She meets a being called "the Reader" and decides to work with him to prevent future disasters, allowing her mortal body to die. Meanwhile, Basim escapes the temple with the Staff of Hermes, which holds Loki’s lover, Aletheia’s, consciousness, and meets Shaun and Rebecca. After they leave to find William Miles, Basim enters the Animus to track down Loki’s children.
In 879 AD, Eivor receives a letter from her cousin Bárid mac Ímair, now king of Dublin, asking for help in Ireland. Eivor agrees to help Bárid form an alliance with Flann Sinna, who is about to become High King of Ireland. After stopping a plot to kill Flann before his coronation, Flann asks Eivor to help him gather allies and strengthen his rule. After capturing the castle of Cashelore, Eivor discovers Flann’s army
Development
Assassin's Creed Valhalla was being developed for over two and a half years before it was announced in April 2020. The main team working on the game was the Assassin's Creed Origins team at Ubisoft Montreal, with help from fourteen other Ubisoft studios around the world. Although the final part of the game’s development happened during the COVID-19 pandemic, most of the staff working on the game were able to work from home with support from Ubisoft’s technology departments. This helped ensure the game was ready for release in 2020.
Ashraf Ismail was the creative director of the game. He had previously worked on Assassin's Creed Origins and Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag. Darby McDevitt was the narrative director, having written stories for Assassin's Creed: Revelations, Black Flag, and Unity. Mike Williams from USGamer said the game’s large scale and effort were like a "grand unifying theory" for the series, combining past ideas into one vision without changing them. McDevitt explained that the game’s story connected all previous Assassin's Creed games in meaningful ways but was not meant to be the final game in the series. He also said the story’s structure was very different from other games, even within the Assassin's Creed series.
Ismail said the book Eaters of the Dead by Michael Crichton, which is based on the old poem Beowulf, greatly influenced the game’s setting. McDevitt noted that the team knew the game might have similarities to God of War, but they wanted Valhalla to focus more on real history than mythology. Norse mythology appears in the story, but it is shown through how characters like Eivor and the Vikings might interpret events as signs of their gods’ involvement, rather than using mythology in an obvious way. This was especially important because much of the game takes place in England, where Christianity was common, and the story shows how Eivor might blend different beliefs. Thierry Noël, a game advisor, said Ubisoft believed women were important in Viking society and mythology, so the game allowed players to choose Eivor’s gender, reflecting the idea that men and women could be equally strong in battle.
Ismail and McDevitt said the team studied historical records about the Viking expansion into Britain. Most of these records were written long after the events they described and often showed Vikings as violent invaders. However, the team wanted to show a more accurate picture of the Viking Age, including how Vikings settled in England and helped develop agriculture and language. This focus on settlement was shown in the game’s trailer, which paired warnings from Alfred the Great about Vikings with scenes of Viking communities. Lead producer Julien Laferrière said the settlement was central to the game, similar to important locations in other games like Dragon Age: Inquisition and Mass Effect. He added that the settlement helped show players the results of their choices, including difficult decisions in the game.
In a deleted tweet, Ubisoft’s Middle East communications head, Malek Teffaha, said Valhalla would not be the largest game in the series. He also said the game would address a criticism of Odyssey, which had too many repetitive areas. IGN reported that Odyssey’s main story took about 40 hours, but adding all side quests could take over 100 hours. Ismail later said the game’s world was "handcrafted," with efforts to create unique and meaningful content for players to explore.
The game’s music was composed by Jesper Kyd and Sarah Schachner, who have worked on other Assassin's Creed games. Einar Selvik, who wrote songs for the History Channel show Vikings, helped create new music for Valhalla.
In June 2020, Polygon reported that Ismail stepped down from the project after allegations of having multiple extramarital affairs with younger fans. Ubisoft confirmed his departure. Later that year, other Ubisoft executives, including chief creative officer Serge Hascoët, also left the company. Reports said Hascoët and others had removed female characters from some games. Some Valhalla developers had wanted the main character to be female, choosing the name "Eivor" as a female name in Nordic records, but executives opposed this, believing it might reduce sales. McDevitt said the team had planned from the start to let players choose the character’s gender.
Assassin's Creed: Valhalla includes features to help physically impaired players. These include audio narration for menus, sounds that indicate interactive objects and quest progress, adjustments for quick-time events, and a feature called “Guaranteed Assassinate,” which lets players skip timing requirements when attacking enemies.
Release
Valhalla was first planned to release on November 17, 2020. Later, the release date was moved up to November 10, 2020, to match the launch of the Xbox Series X/S. The game was available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Stadia, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. On PC, the game was only available on the Epic Games Store until December 6, 2022, when it was also released on Steam. Valhalla is the first Assassin's Creed game designed for the next-generation consoles, the Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5. Ubisoft’s Ismail stated that Valhalla is the company’s most important game for these new systems and was created to use the faster loading times of the consoles. Four versions of the game were released: a standard edition, a "Gold Edition" that included a season pass, a "Valhalla Edition" with the season pass and in-game customizations, and a "Ragnarok Edition" with the season pass, customizations, a SteelBook, and a statue. Players who owned the Xbox One or PlayStation 4 version could upgrade to the next-gen version on their platform without paying extra.
In 2019, Ubisoft’s game Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 included an Easter egg: a poster that seemed to hint at the next Assassin’s Creed game, named Valhalla. The poster showed a Viking wearing clothing similar to previous Assassin characters and holding an Apple of Eden, an artifact from the series. This led a reporter, Jason Schreier of Kotaku, to suggest a new Assassin’s Creed game was being made for 2020. However, when Valhalla was officially announced in April 2020, Ubisoft’s McDevitt explained that the Easter egg was a coincidence. The studio that created The Division 2, Massive Entertainment, wanted to include Swedish cultural elements in the game and had no connection to Valhalla.
Additional content
Ubisoft announced they would release an exclusive mission titled The Legend of Beowulf for players who pre-ordered the game. Additional content was made available after the game was released through a season pass. This included several story expansions. The first expansion, Wrath of the Druids, sends Eivor to Ireland to stop a group of druids called the Children of Danu. The second expansion, The Siege of Paris, takes Eivor to Francia to participate in the Siege of Paris. Similar to previous games like Origins and Odyssey, Ubisoft created a special mode called Discovery Tour: Viking Age for Valhalla. This mode removes all combat and allows players to explore Medieval England and Norway at their own pace while learning about history and culture through guided tours led by historians. The mode was released for free in October 2021 and is the third part of the Discovery Tour series.
In June 2021, Ubisoft announced Valhalla would be the first Assassin's Creed game to receive a second year of support, including new updates and expansions. In December 2021, Ubisoft released a free mission that connects Valhalla with Odyssey, titled A Fated Encounter. This mission has Eivor meet Odyssey’s main character, Kassandra, while investigating strange events on the Isle of Skye. The third story expansion, Dawn of Ragnarök, was released in March 2022 and focuses on Norse mythology. It introduces a new land called Svartalfheim, where Eivor must take on the role of Odin to save his son, Baldr, from the fire giant Surtr. In August 2022, a free game mode titled The Forgotten Saga was released. This mode is a rogue-like game where players control Odin as he travels to Niflheim to confront Hel and demand Baldr’s resurrection after his death in Dawn of Ragnarök. As Odin, players explore Niflheim through different challenges and risk permanent character loss when facing stronger enemies. In September 2022, Ubisoft announced The Last Chapter, a free expansion that serves as a final story conclusion for Eivor and her relationship with Odin. Originally planned for December 6, 2022, the expansion was released one week earlier, on November 29. The update also included a bonus mission featuring Roshan, a character from Assassin’s Creed Mirage, the next game in the series, as well as the ability to keep Eivor’s hood on at all times and a final outfit inspired by Ezio Auditore from Assassin’s Creed II.
The first major expansion, Wrath of the Druids, was promoted by Tourism Ireland, an organization that markets Ireland internationally to increase interest in visiting the country.
Reception
Assassin's Creed Valhalla received good reviews from critics, as reported by Metacritic, a website that collects game reviews. Another site, OpenCritic, said most critics strongly approved of the game, with 91% recommending it.
Game Informer gave a highly positive review, praising the story, variety of gameplay, and the world of Valhalla. The reviewer wrote that the game’s balance of combat, exploration, storytelling, and settlement management made it an enjoyable experience for many players.
GamesRadar+ also praised the game for its variety of activities, story, and the way it encouraged players to make their own choices. The reviewer gave it a 4.5/5 star rating, saying the game combined a large world, exciting combat, and the chance to use the hidden blade, creating a well-balanced experience.
The Escapist called the game a highlight of the franchise, praising its combat, characters, story, and improvements as a role-playing game. The reviewer noted that nearly every activity in the game felt meaningful, and the game reached new heights for the series.
GameSpot gave the game an 8/10, praising its story and the conclusion of several plotlines but noting that some characters lacked development. The reviewer said the game took risks that ultimately worked well.
IGN also gave the game an 8/10, describing it as a large, beautiful open-world game with exciting combat and themes of conquest. However, the reviewer mentioned that the game had some technical issues and bugs.
Hardcore Gamer compared Valhalla favorably to earlier games like Assassin's Creed Odyssey and Origins, noting improvements in gameplay. The reviewer said the game offered familiar experiences but added quality-of-life changes that made it appealing to fans of previous titles.
GameRevolution gave the game 2.5/4 stars, criticizing its long playtime, limited stealth mechanics, and disconnected story. The reviewer suggested the game failed to focus on its strengths and may signal a decline for the series.
Rock, Paper, Shotgun gave a mixed review, praising the game’s large world and character of Eivor but criticizing its progression system and lack of coherence in gameplay. The reviewer said the game was complex and might be hard for new players to enjoy.
NRK, Norway’s national broadcaster, gave the game a positive review, calling it an exciting and beautiful journey back to the Viking Age. A Danish newspaper, JydskeVestkysten, praised the Danish voice actors for making Eivor feel authentic without being exaggerated.
In early February 2021, fans criticized Ubisoft for focusing on microtransactions instead of improving gameplay or fixing bugs. A Reddit post highlighted that the game’s in-game store sold exclusive armor sets after launch, which fans found unnecessary.
Assassin's Creed: Valhalla sold more copies in its first week than any other game in the series. The PC version had the most successful launch of any Ubisoft PC game. By November 2020, the game had over 1.8 million players. In Japan, the PlayStation 4 version sold 45,055 physical copies in its first week, making it the second-best-selling retail game of the week. The PlayStation 5 version sold 4,227 copies, ranking 25th in Japan. The game became Ubisoft’s second most profitable title and the fifth best-selling game of 2020 and the sixteenth best-selling game of 2021 in the U.S. By February 2022, the game had earned over $1 billion in revenue. Ubisoft’s 2024–2025 report stated that Valhalla had the highest Day 1 sales revenue in the franchise’s history.
Assassin's Creed: Valhalla was nominated for Innovation in Accessibility and Best Action/Adventure at The Game Awards 2020 and for Outstanding Video Game at the 2021 GLAAD Media Award. It also received seven NAVGTR award nominations, including Game of the Year. At the 24th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards, it was nominated for "Adventure Game of the Year" and "Outstanding Achievement in Character" for Eivor Varinsdottir.
The soundtrack for the Dawn of Ragnarök expansion, composed by Stephanie Economou, won the first Grammy award in the category of Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media at the 65th annual ceremony.
Series continuation
The next game in the series, Assassin's Creed Mirage, was released in October 2023 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S. It is a smaller game that is different from the storytelling features of Valhalla and earlier games, and is more similar to older games in the series. The game also comes before Valhalla and tells the story of Basim Ibn Ishaq in 9th-century Baghdad during the Islamic Golden Age.