What is the combat and gameplay like in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla?

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will take players to ninth-century Norway, a time of endless battles that would turn the land from a collection of disparate clans to a single kingdom. Playing as a clan leader named Eivor, you’ll head to England to seek out a new life for your people away from your war-torn home.

As you might imagine, that means that your journey through Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will be one filled with violence and, owing to its Viking theme, raids to gather resources. While more details about exactly how the game plays will come out closer to its holiday 2020 release, we already know some of what to expect from Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s gameplay and combat.

Combat and assassinations

According to Ubisoft, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will take the series’ combat to a new level and feature a wider variety of enemies than any previous Assassin’s Creed game. You’ll likely face off against a broad range of Viking and Saxon combatants, ranging from heavily armored troops to lightly equipped bandits.

Playing on the famous Viking skill in combat, you’ll be able to dual-wield weapons, including axes, swords, and shields. Of course, you’ll also have the option to take a stealthier route, with Assassin’s Creed’s signature assassinations, thanks to your hidden blade. Ubisoft says that Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s unique combat will let you “bash, dismember, and decapitate your foes” as you fight, so expect a darker, grittier tone from this one.

Related: Will Assassin’s Creed Valhalla release on the PlayStation 5?

Raids and sailing

It sounds like some of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s biggest combat encounters will come in the form of raids, which you’ll undertake to secure resources and possibly land for your new settlement. It’s not clear yet exactly how these will play out, but Ubisoft promises massive battles and even the ability to get help from friends. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla won’t feature co-op, but players will be able to create custom Viking characters that they can send into battle to help other players with their own raids.

Sailing will play some part in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, as you’ll have a longboat that you use to travel to new territory to conduct raids. Ubisoft hasn’t said how in-depth the sailing gameplay will be, so it’s not clear yet whether we’re looking at anything nearly as complex as the sailing from Black Flag.

Resources and settlements

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will feature an open world, allowing you to hunt, fish, play drinking games, and engage in other Viking-like pastimes outside of combat. Back home, you’ll be able to expand your settlement by building new structures, from blacksmith shops to tattoo parlors, and recruit NPCs to join your clan.

Ubisoft has also confirmed that Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will feature dialogue choices and RPG elements, so in the broadest possible terms, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is probably a good place to look for a general idea of how things will play out in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.