Assassin’s Creed Odyssey 2018 allowed players to choose their gender, choosing between a man or a woman, and the 2020 game Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will take this feature forward. However, instead of having two brothers available this time, you will choose between the male and female versions of the same character. Despite this, both options will apparently remain considered canon of history according to narrative director Darby McDevitt.
In Valhalla, you play as Eivor, who is described as a “ferocious Viking raider raised in tales of battle and glory.” Eivor leads a group of Norsemen who have been expelled from Norway for “endless wars and dwindling resources in the 9th century CE”. Take a look at the images below to see the male and female versions of Eivor. The female version is included in the collector’s edition of the game.
His journey will take him across the North Sea to England, where players will “forge a new future for their clan.”
“Being in Eivor’s boots as a Viking attacker and clan leader, players will face the conflicts of establishing a new home in the midst of a power struggle for control of England,” said creative director Ashraf Ismail.
The option to play as a man or a woman was one of Odyssey’s most notable features, and was welcomed positively by gamers. Playing as Alexios or Kassandra in that game does not affect the game, but changes the role of the other character in the story. However, both characters have different voice actors and character models, similar to the way male and female Shepards Commanders were treated in Mass Effect. Presumably it will be the same for Valhalla.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will launch at Holiday 2020 for Xbox Series X, PS5, Xbox One, PS4, Stadia, and on PC exclusively through the Epic Games Store. It will also be available as part of the UPlay + subscription service.
For more information on the game, read our in-depth interview with Assassin’s Creed main writer Valhalla.
