Everyone who has played Assassin’s Creed Valhalla at least a few times knows how much time and dedication the title requires, especially if the goal is to experience everything it has to offer. Of course, having a lot to do is not a bad thing, but surely it is much better to have an actual reason to continue exploring the world even after completing the main story. Thankfully, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla received Title Update 1.8.0 on November 5, 2026, which includes the long-awaited New Game+ mode.
The new feature allows players to start the journey all over again, but without losing their existing character progression and equipment, which is an extremely valuable addition for a game like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. However, even though it is understandable why New Game+ is getting so much attention, it is also worth mentioning that the update introduced the so-called Extended Progression Mode, as well as additional gear updates and improvements to the rune system. These changes are no less important, considering that they have the potential to completely change the way players approach Eivor’s development.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s Progression Overhaul Is Bigger Than It Seems
Perhaps the most interesting addition to Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is the Extended Progression Mode because it introduces a brand-new way of increasing Eivor’s power. Previously, players mostly invested skill points to increase their Power level. However, now they need to consider their equipment upgrades and runes as well, because each of them increases Power by one point. On the other hand, there are also the Masteries, which contribute to the overall Power level for every five skill points invested.
Balance the critic averages
In other words, things that were previously not so important will now play a much bigger role in the way players perform in the game. Without a doubt, this adds an additional layer of complexity to the title, as developing one’s character requires a lot more strategy. This is not an idea that is unheard of because many other open-world RPGs use the same approach, but it is definitely a breath of fresh air for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. However, at the same time, it may actually turn out that this matters more to long-term replayability than simply restarting the campaign with existing equipment. Of course, we should not forget the increased upgrade limit for Divine gear that Title Update 1.8.0 introduced as well, as it has gone from level 13 all the way to 27. This is quite a big increase, especially for those who have already put a substantial amount of time and effort into developing their best armor sets.
In the end, maybe giving people more control over how they approach a title is arguably just as important as providing them with a reason to start it again.
However, it’s important to mention that reaching these additional levels requires a new resource called Mithril. In other words, players will have to put some extra effort here, no matter how far they are into the game, if they want to reach their gear’s full potential. This is merely another example of how Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is actually ready to make revisiting Eivor’s adventure worthwhile, rather than simply adding a new way to experience the same thing twice. Thankfully, Ubisoft has included several ways for players to obtain Mithril, such as collecting a piece of equipment or interacting with a Book of Knowledge that they already own.
Of course, improving one’s equipment isn’t everything; Ubisoft also introduced some important changes to the Rune Forge. For example, players can now upgrade their runes through several tiers to reach the new Superior quality. Last but not least, there are now more than 300 additional engravable runes, which is an impressive expansion to the available customization options. These include perks introduced through Assassin’s Creed DLCs and equipment purchased from the Helix Store. This has insane potential because trying out different perks and discovering new combinations can make combat feel a lot more interesting than it did previously, even for players who have already spent hundreds of hours in the game.
Valhalla’s Biggest Victory Is Giving Players More Freedom to Progress
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Many players would agree that maybe the best thing about Title Update 1.8.0 is that it has not made New Game+ a requirement for enjoying all of its progression improvements. Moreover, the Extended Progression mode is entirely optional as well, and it allows players to really choose the way they want to experience the adventures in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. This is quite important for a game like this because it is a genuinely demanding title that can easily become extremely limiting.
This may be a more minor addition, but it’s worth mentioning that Ubisoft has also introduced the so-called Stash in Ravensthorpe, which gives players a convenient way to store small equipment and runes instead of keeping them in their inventory. Overall, the developers are really trying to make sure that they are delivering a significantly improved experience for both newbies and seasoned players. This is why New Game+, although a great addition, would have had a hard time completely transforming the experience alone. In the end, maybe giving people more control over how they approach a title is arguably just as important as providing them with a good enough reason to start it again.
- Released
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November 10, 2020
- ESRB
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M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
