Though we’ve gotten to see a little of the gameplay in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Ubisoft’s new story trailer includes the most significant amount of plot details yet.
The trailer, which only features the male version of the protagonist Eivor, introduces the lead character’s brother Sigurd, as well as members of the Assassin’s Order. It’s Sigurd who prompts Eivor and the rest of the clan to expand into Britain, facing many enemies along the way. A new character also mentions “a darkness unseen, an unknowable threat” that is bound to England’s destiny, hinting at the more science fiction-y aspects of the Assassin’s Creed games.
The new look at the game follows several controversies at Ubisoft, including the firing of Ashraf Ismail, the former creative director of the game, after allegations of sexual misconduct, as well as broader allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct within the company. Notably, the Bloomberg investigation into the company also included reports from employees about how female characters were consistently minimized in Assassin’s Creed games, a trend that was “illustrative of the sexism ingrained within the company.” Bloomberg also cited Polygon’s 2014 reporting on the lack of female assassins in Assassin’s Creed Unity’s four-player co-op mode, with former Ubisoft creative director Alex Amancio saying it would be “really a lot of extra production work” to include them. At the time, Amancio faced pushback from other animators who disagreed with his claim.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is set to launch on Nov. 10.
