Become Odin in ‘Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla’ – ‘Dawn of Ragnarok’

The second season of content for Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla launches with two promising announcements: The Dawn of Ragnarok, an expansion slated for a March 10, 2022 release, and Crossover Stories, which brings two renowned characters of the longstanding franchise together beginning on December 14, Tuesday.

Available as a separate purchase for owners of AC: Valhalla, Dawn of Ragnarok follows Wrath of the Druids and Siege of Paris as Valhalla’s third expansion, but this one will focus on the mythological tales of Norse gods with more than 35 hours of new gameplay. 

That is a large number for a DLC. 

Players’ respective Eivors will fully embrace their role as Odin, the Allfather, who’s known as the Norse God of Battle and Wisdom. With the intention of rescuing Odin’s captive son Baldr, players will visit Svartalfheim where war rages on and dwarves have been forced into exile.

They will once again face off with Jotnurs, who became familiar foes during the Asgard and Jotunheim arcs of Valhalla’s original narrative. Additionally, Dawn of Ragnarok will see the debut of Muspels, a new enemy type from the fiery realm of Musphelheim who can resurrect fallen enemies. 

Every great story needs a great villain, and the candidate to take that distinction will be Surtr, a familiar rival of Odin’s in the many stories of Norse Myth. Surtr has typically been linked to the events of Ragnarok, which in folklore is believed as “the end of the world.”

The original game’s boss fights weren’t as exciting as they should have theoretically been, but that improved in Siege of Paris. Perhaps the trend continues in DOR.

While direct confrontation has been a fun utility for players of AC: Valhalla due to the game’s impressive combat system, cunning will apparently be key in surviving this dangerous new realm – especially against hordes of enemies. 

Ubisoft is introducing godlike powers for gamers’ Eivor/Odin to tinker with. Thanks to the Hugr-Rip, a bracer offered by the dwarves, the abilities of defeated foes can be claimed in a bit of a compelling twist.

New additions include the ability to shapeshift into one’s raven for assassinations, infusing weapons with ice, teleporting across locations with the use of Odin’s bow, and resurrecting fallen opponents to fight by your side.

Additionally, there will be Valkyrie challenges for players to test their combat skills, which feels oddly familiar to one of God of War’s most popular features.

Dawn of Ragnarok is the latest addition to the contributions of Ubisoft’s studios across the globe for Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, including the Philippines branch. 

The game has grown in scale since its initial launch, including seasonal events like the Yule Festival, challenges like the River Raids, and even non-violent experiences such as Discovery Tour: Viking Age, which released in October.

A worthy team-up

Fans of both Valhalla and Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey – its predecessor – will get the chance to play as both games’ protagonists in a pair of crossovers. Eivor and Kassandra will collide in a mission to save Skyle Island from the threat of an Isu Artefact, while also answering two other narrative-driven questions:

(Spoilers ahead if you did not play AC: Odyssey)

What will Kassandra do with the rest of her immortal life?

What happens when she and Eivor meet?

Crossover Stories is free for owners of each respective base game. Odyssey players who used Alexios can keep playing as him, but only Kassandra will be present in Skye Island, per the developers. 

Valhalla will have the story A Fated Encounter while Odyssey gets Those Who Are Treasured. The latter can be accessed after finishing chapter one and reaching Megaris, while the former can be played when your Eivor reaches settlement level four and can utilize Valka, the seeress.

Ubisoft plans a “rich storyline” in two new islands that are supposed to be “unique environments.” 

It also provides players of Odyssey the opportunity to re-visit an old friend in Kassandra, who according to PlayStation Blog is 1,300 years older. How have centuries of drinking fine wine, watching the Greek shore, and witnessing history changed this heroine? Perhaps she’s bored?

The original ending for Valhalla felt a bit lacking, almost like Eivor’s story was always meant to unfurl as time goes by. With this launch of season two, and maybe more to come, is it possible that was Ubisoft’s intention?

We shall see.

Naveen Ganglani is a writer, host, businessman, and NFT collector. He wishes there are more hours in a day to play video games. You can reach him via email: navsganglani@gmail.com; or on social media via Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

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