Following Assassin's Creed Valhalla's overwhelming success, Ubisoft is doubling-down on the game with additional content. During its E3 presentation, the company announced that Valhalla's DLC will continue into next year, all but explicitly confirming that the once-annual franchise will not receive a new game this (and likely next) year. This coincides with the series' transition towards a focus on RPG elements.
The franchise's evolution began with Assassin's Creed Origins, but Valhalla is arguably the game that perfected the new style. Such as drastic change always risks alienating veteran players, but E3 proves that Ubisoft is not backing down from this new approach anytime soon and, hopefully, the new content can convince anyone still on the fence that this was the right approach on the developer's part.
In the past, new main-series Assassin's Creed installments have been supported for about a year with DLC missions and story expansions that maintain that game's style. For instance, Assassin's Creed Odyssey received The Fate of Atlantis DLC, which offered a new map and story segment for the protagonist. Now, Eivor's adventures will continue into a second year, and the updates seem to have something for Assassin's Creed fans and RPG lovers.
So far, Valhalla has received DLC and updates to keep players engaged, such as festivals, quests and timed events. These are tailored to RPG players, and they provide chances to level up Eivor or their gear. However, in addition to the recent Wrath of the Druids expansion, there are more story expansions coming. The next one is Seige of Paris, which adds to Eivor's story. Ubisoft also teased that Odin's story isn't over yet.
The decision to keep working on Valhalla is a good sign for Assassin's Creed's future. Not only does it allow Ubisoft to provide the game's many fans with more content, but it gives the developers working on the next major entry more time to perfect its successor. This alleviates the pressure to deliver a new Assassin's Creed game either this year of in 2022, allowing the developers to take the time they need to work out any issues and create the ideal Assassin's Creed experience.
Giving the developers time to perfect the next entry is crucial for a series that is coming out of a transformation. Valhalla solidified the franchise's shift into the realm of action-RPGs, so the next game can either build upon its accomplishments, cater towards fans of the original style or chart an entirely new path for the series. While it's not clear what the next game will be like -- or where or when it will take place -- there's no stopping Assassin's Creed's evolution.