TheAssassin’s Creedfranchise is perhaps Ubisoft’s most well-known IP andAssassin’s Creed Valhallais its latest edition to this impressive roster. The game received positive reviews upon its release in November 2020, and Ubisoft has continued to supportAssassin’s Creed Valhallawith great DLC content since.
In addition to expansions Wrath of the Druids andSiege of Pariswhichhave already dropped, Ubisoft has confirmed that players can expect more major post-release content by March 2022 to finish off the company’s financial year. Thanks to a datamine leak by well-knownAssassin’s Creedleaker j0nathan, the next DLC has allegedly been titled Dawn of Ragnarok.
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How Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s DLC Was Leaked
Responsible for several previousAssassin’s Creedleaks, dataminer j0nathan found code in a recentAssassin’s Creed Valhallaupdate that revealed a new unexplored location and a list of interesting new trophies and achievements related to the upcoming DLC. An image shown atUbisoft Forward in Juneof this year sheds further light on the new expansion, with a gate covered in fiery runes featured as lava flows through scorched rocks.
The evidence uncovered hinted at the new post-release content being titled Dawn of Ragnarok, an allusion to a series of cataclysmic events – including an epic battle – that would lead to the demise of many key figures in Norse mythology as well as a series of natural disasters. While j0nathan was unable to confirm exactly what the DLC would entail, speculation abounded among gamers and fans of the franchise eager to continueEivor’s story.
The Story of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla So Far
Assassin’s Creed Valhallais an open-world action role-playing game. It follows the story of protagonist Eivor, a Viking raider and warrior who leads their clan from desolate Norway to the promise of a new life in ninth-century Anglo-Saxon England. Eivor inevitably becomes embroiled in the centuries-long conflict between the Assassin Brotherhood and the Templar Order, with the Viking warrior’s memories being relived byLayla Hassanin the modern-day.
To date, the base game only allows players to explore the realms of Asgard and Jotunheim through dreamscapes, with the majority of the action taking place in areas like Norway, Vinland (coastal North America), and England. However, Ragnarok is already alluded to in the main game when Eivor enters the body ofOdinin a dream and helps him attempt to avoid his fate in the all-encompassing mythic battle of the gods. With similar references threaded throughout, Ubisoft has been setting up the upcoming DLC with half-teased revelations and in-game nods.
What’s In A Name
Ubisoft has already plumbed the undeniably cavernous depths of Norse mythology, using the established folklore and famous tales to inform the world of their game. This is particularly apparent with content like theOskoreia Festival(or Odin’s Wild Hunt), which is based on an Old Norse Yuletide tradition that sees a group of hunters led by Odin engaging in battles. The inclusion of characters like Eivor, Sigurd, and Basim as reincarnations of Odin, Tyr, and Loki further cement Norse folklore and gods within the narrative of the game.
The centering of Ragnarok within the next expansion seems to indicate that players can expect some kind of cataclysmic event that will potentially have far-reaching consequences in theworld ofAssassin’s Creed Valhalla.Although the endof the main game saw Basim still trapped within the Animus-like supercomputer Yggdrasil in Eivor’s timeline, he might still have a part to play as the Norse god of mischief, Loki. This particular god is instrumental in the Norse telling of Ragnarok, as he is freed from a lengthy confinement at the start of the apocalyptic events, and takes up arms against his fellow gods.
What Gamers Can Expect In The DLC
Although not much is known about the upcoming DLC forAssassin’s Creed Valhalla, there are still plenty of details and hints for players to pore over. With the next expansion definitely arriving before March 2022 – barring any delays – gamers can be sure of learning more and more about Dawn of Ragnarokas the weeks pass.Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s previousWrath of the Druids DLCmay have come up against delays and a subsequent pushed-back release, Ubisoft has committed to providing new content for the game over releasing a new title in 2022 as was previously speculated.
The expansion will be set in the realm ofSvartalfheim, the homeland of the dwarves. This traditionally dark land will apparently be invaded by the inhabitants of Muspelheim, a fiery realm home to both fire giants, and jötunn warrior Surtr who wields a flaming sword. In Norse mythology, Muspelheim is featured in both stories of creation and destruction – a fitting companion to the story of Ragnarok. With the previous two DLCs forAssassin’s Creed Valhallataking place in AD 879 and AD 885 respectively, the third major expansion will likely take place after these and will be a continuation of Eivor’s story after their adventures in both Ireland and Francia, as well as show the events leading up to some form of the Norse apocalypse.
New Abilities, Achievements, And More
In j0nathan’s datamine leak, there were several new abilities hinted at for protagonist Eivor. These included abilities like resuscitation to bring back fallen NPCs, the capability to turn temporarily invisible, and new ice powers. In addition to these, brand new ammunition types like teleportation arrows were alluded to, offering players completely new combat possibilities to utilize with the best weapons in the game like the formidable bow,Bullseye. If these weren’t enough, it seems like players may be granted the power to fly like a crow – an ability no doubt linked to the achievement of “teleport assassinate two enemies and fly away without being detected.”
Other new achievements include discovering “all Dwarven Shelters,” and “all territories of Svartalfheim,” both of which encourage players to explore extensively to pick up artifacts – like in theTombs of the Fallen DLC– and properly get to grips with the new realm of Svartalfheim. In terms of achievements for weapons, players will earn them for “fully upgrading Odin’s Bracer,” and dispatching “30 enemies with an Atgeir,” a chainmail-piercing polearm no doubt already familiar to players of Iron Gate Studio’s survival gameValheim.
With new tools and abilities to utilize and a brand new realm to explore, Dawn of Ragnarokis shaping up to be an exciting new addition toAssassin’s Creed Valhalla.
Assassin’s Creed Valhallais out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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