Does Assassin’s Creed Valhalla have a present-day story?

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is the newest entry in Ubisoft’s long-running series. It takes place during the Viking invasion of England. Assassin’s Creed has always jumped around various periods, but a good majority of the games have also included present-day gameplay, sometimes for story purposes, but also puzzles. However, some fans of the franchise do look down on the present-day gameplay. Many consider it to be the weakest part of Assassin’s Creed. How does Valhalla handle this?

Does Assassin’s Creed Valhalla have a present-day story?

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla does bring back a present-day story to the franchise. Ashraf Ismail, the Creative Director of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, said in an interview that Layla Hassan (who appeared in Assassin’s Creed Origins and Odyssey) would be returning in Valhalla. He also said that the team has “some surprising, unexpected content for our players who love that kind of stuff.”

Ismail did not divulge what precisely this “unexpected content” could be, but that it would be revealed down the road. Love it or hate it, the present-day gameplay in Assassin’s Creed has returned with Valhalla.

The series began telling the story of Desmond Miles, a bartender abducted by the conglomerate company, Abstergo. Desmond played a vital role in the series in the early days of the franchise until he died in Assassin’s Creed III. Even following his death, he was still used in Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag because of the significant lineage his blood has within the assassins.

Layla Hassan was introduced in Assassin’s Creed Origins. She was an employee for Abstergo who was going against the company by performing experiments on herself and pursuing the body of Bayak of Siwa. At the end of the game, she joins the assassins, where she is continuing to research and search for artifacts and the lost city of Atlantis in Odyssey.