The Assassin's Creed: Valhalla Launch Surpassed Expectations

Assassin's Creed: Valhalla is out, and it's performing better than anyone could have expected, including its developers. Granted, it's no surprise that the game is a hit, but the fact that it has outperformed Assassin's Creed: Odyssey is definitely turning some heads.

Yves Guillemot, the CEO of Ubisoft, was quite pleased to learn that Valhalla's day-one player count doubled that of Odyssey. Guillemot expressed his appreciation to fans of the game, sharing his enthusiasm for the next-gen console premiere.

The game has been scoring high with critics, which only reinforces its early popularity. In general, reviews have praised Assassin's Creed: Valhalla for upholding a familiar formula while still offering something fresh. The game has also received positive marks for its handling of combat, its engaging and accessible story, and its settlement building. All in all, it seems as though Valhalla has earned its stripes. While things are shaping up quite well for the game, it wasn't an easy journey getting here.

Early on, Assassin's Creed: Valhalla received some heat from fans due to its unusual announcement, its approach to combat, and even its inclusion of a female protagonist. Gamers were concerned that the new installment would be too far from what they had grown to expect from the series.

Another bump in the road came when word got out that the Series X version of the game would play at around 30 frames-per-second. It was a surprising disappointment, but the problems didn't stop there. During production, Ashraf Ismail, the creative director for Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, had to leave the project allegedly over an infidelity scandal. If that wasn't enough, fear blew up on social media when the game's launch was announced on Twitter, as there was no mention of a PS5 release within that Tweet.

Indeed, Assassin's Creed: Valhalla had a rough path to victory, but it all worked out in the end and the game is getting the recognition it deserves. Offering brand-new features like raid missions, dual wielding, character customization, and more, Valhalla gives players everywhere plenty of reason to jump on the hype train. Despite all the hardships, the game has proven itself, and gamers everywhere are rejoicing in everything it has to offer. Valhalla has made a huge splash and it's here to stay.

Assassin's Creed: Valhalla launched alongside the Xbox Series X|S, and is available on PC, Google Stadia, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and the Series X|S.