Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Valhalla follows the Viking warrior Eivor as they join a force that is storming England and creating settlements there. While the game focuses on Norse mythology as an important facet of the story, its real-world historical context is just as important. That will continue in its DLC, with more details on the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Wrath of the Druids expansion set to release on April 29, being revealed in a recent interview.
This first DLC will take Eivor to nearby Ireland in search of more adventure, while The Siege of Paris expansion this summer will focus on France, many years before the French Revolution with 2014’s Assassin’s Creed Unity. Data have suggested that Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will have a third major DLC, those two expansions are all that the game’s first season pass includes. According to the Ubisoft website, Wrath of the Druids will focus on investigating an ancient Druidic cult steeped in Gaelic myth and folklore.
However, Ubisoft Bordeaux associate narrative director Hugo Sahuquet told The Gamer that Wrath of the Druids will also delve into emerging Gaelic-Nordic culture. Sahuquet said the DLC takes place some 40 years after the Vikings first settled in Dublin, which quickly became “a very cosmopolitan city” due to the easier fusion of Viking and Irish culture, including marriages. intended to ensure protection, land and more.
By the time Assassin’s Creed Valhalla enters Ireland, Viking expansion there is over, with the Norwegian Barid mac Imair as King of Dublin. Sahuquet said that Ubisoft envisions Barid being Norse-Gael as a way to explore the cultural mix, and the story of the expansion begins as a result of the High King Flann Sinna of Ireland hiring Viking mercenaries to join his war campaigns.
Based on the descriptions provided to The Gamer, it appears that Ubisoft has given a lot of thought to how it wants to portray this time period. Sahuquet said Liverpool University Professor Clare Downham and Trinity College Dublin Professor Sean Duffy were hired as experts in Viking and Irish history. Valhalla already dives into many cultural events, such as its Ostara Festival, which is still ongoing, so adding additional world perspectives is certainly a boon for the formula.
It remains to be seen how The Siege of Paris or a possible third expansion will add to this exploration of early European history, but for now it seems like fans have plenty of interesting stories to look forward to this month. There are other issues that Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s Wrath of the Druids DLC could address from the base game, so hopefully Ubisoft will seize the opportunity to polish its title more than ever.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X / S.
