At its 2021 E3 presentation, Ubisoft announced that it would be providing post-launch support for Assassin's Creed Valhalla into the game's second year. Details of what that support entails are sparse, but some clues indicate what's ahead for the Viking assassin game.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla has already had a healthy amount of post-launch content. The recent launch of in-game Sigrblot Festival marked Assassin's Creed Valhalla's third such free festival, following the Yule Festival in December 2020 and the Ostara Festival in March 2021. Based on Ubisoft's original post-launch plans, a fourth festival is likely on the way in fall 2021. Assassin's Creed Valhalla has also had two paid DLC expansions, Wrath of Druids, and upcoming The Siege of Paris, which releases in August.
While part of Ubisoft's decision to create more content for Assassin's Creed Valhalla likely stems from the game's popularity, it is probably also fueled by production delays caused by COVID-19. Creating smaller content updates for Assassin's Creed Valhalla keeps the community engaged while the studio works on the franchise's next game installment, likely live-service game Assassin's Creed Infinity. Keeping that in mind, the most likely part of Assassin's Creed Valhalla's 2022 roadmap is the return of the in-game festivals introduced in 2021, starting with the return of the Yule Festival. Returning the festivals to the game would allow new players to experience them for the first time and perhaps attract veteran players back with the return of any favorite mini-games, especially if new cosmetic items are added to the festival rewards. The festivals would also require minimal work from Ubisoft, allowing it to redirect their attention to bigger expansions while players enjoy old content.
When Ubisoft announced a second season of content for Assassin's Creed Valhalla, it confirmed it was "working on more expansions for next year." The first expansion is likely the all-but-confirmed addition of Muspelheim to the mythical realms Eivor can explore. Given how long that expansion has been rumored, fans can likely expect it to be added to the game in early 2022 (if not sooner, possibly to mark the one year anniversary of Assassin's Creed Valhalla's release). A recent leak indicates that in an upcoming DLC, Eivor will journey to the Isle of Skye and meet a fan-favorite Assassin's Creed character. This could easily be tied to the rumored Muspelheim DLC, or an entirely separate piece of content.
Either way, Assassin's Creed Valhalla will likely get at least one more major expansion besides Muspelheim in 2022. An earnings call by Ubisoft earlier this year stated that the second year of Assassin's Creed Valhalla content will be "very ambitious and surprising." A new paid DLC expansion the size of Wrath of Druids or The Siege of Paris makes sense to help bridge the gap between Assassin's Creed Valhalla's release and the next main Assassin's Creed title. Whatever the content is, Assassin's Creed Valhalla fans will likely have plenty to keep them busy next year - including finishing the game's massive main campaign.
Source: Ubisoft
Assassin's Creed Valhalla is available to play now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S
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August 05, 2021 at 11:54PM
