Assassin's Creed Valhalla Siege of Paris sets the stage for another year of Viking adventures
More expansions, updates, and a new free experience are on the way
Eivor's adventure is far from over. As revealed in the Ubisoft E3 2021 showcase, Assassin's Creed Valhalla is set to get a whole helping of new content in the future, from fan-requested features such as one-handed swords, to the second upcoming expansion, The Siege of Paris.
Not only that, but the studio also revealed that it will continue to update the Viking adventure for a second year, with frequent free events and continued support to address bug fixes. The expansions won't stop at the Siege of Paris either, with more DLC content coming next year. One thing for sure: There will be plenty of reasons to keep going back to Valhalla in the months ahead.
The Siege of Paris lets you experience the "most ambitious battle in Viking history"
After our trip to Ireland in the Wrath of the Druids, the next Valhalla expansion is set to take us to France (or Frankia, as it's known in the time period) to take on the "most ambitious battle in Viking history."
Yes, that's right, you're about to get stuck into the siege of Paris, a battle that saw the Vikings invade West Franika in the year 845. Releasing sometime this summer, you'll get to experience new questlines and more Viking action across wartorn France.
Black box infiltration missions are returning
Black box infiltration missions are officially making a comeback in the upcoming Siege of Paris expansion. As long-time fans of the franchise may remember, Black box missions first popped up in Assassin's Creed Unity, and were also included in the later Victorian adventure, Assassin's Creed Syndicate.
The black box missions give you the freedom to decide how you want to take out a particular target and achieve an in-game goal. Set to take us to the French countryside, there's sure to be plenty of interesting targets to give the axe to.
New abilities, weapons, and enemies
As well as diving into new quests, there will be all new enemy types to take on as you lay siege to Paris in the upcoming expansion. We also see some glimpses of new abilities you'll be able to wield, with one that shows Eivor throwing an explosive at an enemy and slickly rolling away as it immolates a poor soldier in a burst of flames. Not unlike Wrath of the Druids, there will be a lot of shiny new gear to try out, as well as a fresh hairdo for Eivor to rock around Frankia.
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One-handed swords, this is not a drill
Move aside daggers and two-handed swords. The classic one-handed sword has arrived. As part of the showcase, Ubisoft revealed it's dedicated to bringing in more fan requested features and additions to the Viking adventure based on player feedback. In the coming weeks, we'll see the arrival of one-handed swords, meaning you can wield a blade with your favourite shield, or dual-wield two swords to deal some blows against your enemies. It'll soon be time for some good old fashioned sword-play.
Ubisoft will continue updating Valhalla for a second year
As we approach the second year since Valhalla released, Ubisoft stated that it will continue to frequently update Eivor's adventure with improvements, bug fixes, and more free update events in the future. We've already seen several free events in the game with festivals in Ravensthorpe, it looks like we'll see more seasonal limited-time events in the months ahead and beyond.
Discovery Tour: Viking Age is coming this fall
This fall, you'll get to dive into Viking history with a new experience that's free to everyone who owns a copy of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. You'll be able to play as people during the time of Vikings and see a slice of their lives as they go about tasks both big and small. In the showcase, one example we see is a religious figure who heads towards a monastery, highlighting the history of the monastery of Ely. Throughout the experience, you can also earn yourself exclusive rewards. It looks set to be a great experience for history buffs and Assassin's Creed fans alike.
More expansions are coming next year
Best of all, The Siege of Paris won't be the last expansion hitting the Viking adventure in the future. Ubisoft revealed more DLC is set to come next year, so you won't have to hang up your axe or weapon of choice anytime soon. We don't yet know what these expansions will be, but it's great to know that there's plenty to look forward to, and more adventures ahead for Eivor. If Wrath of the Druids is anything to go by, it's exciting to think that there's more to come.
Stay on top of all the upcoming events with our E3 2021 schedule.
I started out writing for the games section of a student-run website as an undergrad, and continued to write about games in my free time during retail and temp jobs for a number of years. Eventually, I earned an MA in magazine journalism at Cardiff University, and soon after got my first official role in the industry as a content editor for Stuff magazine. After writing about all things tech and games-related, I then did a brief stint as a freelancer before I landed my role as a staff writer here at GamesRadar+. Now I get to write features, previews, and reviews, and when I'm not doing that, you can usually find me lost in any one of the Dragon Age or Mass Effect games, tucking into another delightful indie, or drinking far too much tea for my own good.
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