Assassin's Creed Valhalla Is Changing Progression And Cutting Down The Grind--Here's How It Will Work

Assassin's Creed Valhalla is in the works for the launch of both PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X (as well as PC and current systems), and it's going to introduce a few changes to the Assassin's Creed formula. The two most recent games in the series, Origins and Odyssey, have taken the series in a new direction by melding the action gameplay with RPG elements. Valhalla isn't necessarily dropping those, but it sounds like progression will be a bit different in the new game. It should serve as a more comfortable play experience for fans of the earlier games, which were pure action-adventure games with very little in the way of role-playing elements.

Talking to Kotaku, creative director Ashraf Ismail has delved into the game's progression system, as well as how new missions will be doled out, among other details. Ismail says that one of the goals with this game is to prevent players from hitting progression walls, so that you're less likely to need to grind to level up.

"We have a new take on progression in this game," Ismail says. "We have more the concept of power, power that is gained through, let’s say, the player gaining skills." He wants to avoid "big progression walls" with this game, so that players can explore freely without being held back too much.