Assassin’s Creed Valhalla gets a free New Game+ mode on November 5, together with new runes, a Stash system, a new upgrade resource called Mithril and fresh cosmetic rewards. Ubisoft describes New Game+ as “one of the community’s most requested features”, and the same patch is due to bring current-generation console updates.

Ubisoft revealed the update in its latest Assassin’s Creed franchise update, and GamingBolt names Jean Guesdon, the franchise’s head of content, as the person who announced it. The game first launched in 2020 on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, and Game Informer adds Stadia to that list. None of the sources we read says which of those platforms receive the November 5 update, so check your own store page.

What does New Game+ do in Valhalla?

New Game+ lets you start a fresh playthrough while keeping your progression items and your level, according to Game Informer. It is not the only change to how you grow stronger. The update also adds an optional progression mode in which Gear, Runes and Masteries all count towards Eivor’s overall Power.

Here is what the sources say the mode and its companion systems include:

  • New Game+ for a second run with progression carried over
  • An optional progression mode where Gear, Runes and Masteries add to Eivor’s Power
  • A Stash system, which the sources mention by name only
  • Mithril, a new resource for upgrading Divine Gear and strengthening runes
  • Divine quality that every item can be upgraded to

Ubisoft has not yet explained, in anything we could read, exactly which items carry over or how a New Game+ run is started. GamingBolt reports that the publisher promised more details in the coming days.

What else is in the November 5 update?

Beyond the new mode, the update adds new runes, new achievements and new rewards. One reward is a Master Assassin outfit based on Naoe’s look from Assassin’s Creed Shadows, which links the older Viking-era game to Ubisoft’s newer release.

KitGuru also notes that the patch will carry current-generation console updates. Ubisoft has not said what these include, and that outlet’s guess about PS5 Pro support is only a guess, so treat it as unconfirmed.

Why is Ubisoft updating a game from 2020 now?

Ubisoft says Valhalla recently passed 40 million players. KitGuru points out that this is a player count and not a sales figure, because the game has been available through services such as PlayStation Plus and Ubisoft+.

GamingBolt notes that the game is now close to six years old and that Ubisoft has since released other mainline and remake titles. A feature the community has asked for since launch gives existing owners a reason to return, and it gives players who never finished the long campaign a fresh way to start again.

Prices

The update itself is free, according to GamingBolt, and none of the sources list a price in any currency or country for it. They also do not list a price for Valhalla itself. If you do not own the game, check the current price on the store for your platform, whether that is Steam, the PlayStation Store, the Xbox store or the Ubisoft Store, because prices differ by region and change over time. Players who already own the game should see the update through their normal patch process.

Who it suits

Returning players. If you finished the story years ago and still have the game installed, New Game+ with carried-over progression gives you a reason to open it again, and the new Mithril resource gives your Divine Gear something to work towards.

Completionists. New achievements, new runes and a Stash system point to more things to collect and organise. The sources say little about how the Stash works, so expect to learn that in the first hour.

Fans of Assassin’s Creed Shadows. The Master Assassin outfit based on Naoe’s look is the clearest nod to the newer game, and it is a cosmetic reward, so it changes how Eivor looks and nothing else that the sources describe.

Who should wait. If you have never played Valhalla and want to know how New Game+ behaves before buying, wait for the promised details from Ubisoft. The mode is aimed at people who have already finished a run.

What is still unknown?

The sources do not say how the Stash works, which items carry over into New Game+, what the current-generation console updates include, or which platforms get the update on November 5. They also give no download size.

Your next step is to read the update notes on Ubisoft’s Valhalla news page and your platform’s store page once the patch goes live, since Ubisoft has said more detail is on the way.