Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will debut a week early alongside Xbox Series X launch

By Giovanni Colantonio Published September 9, 2020

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is having its release date pushed up by one week. Ubisoft’s upcoming sequel will now launch on November 10 alongside the Xbox Series X and S.

Ubisoft announced the news directly after Microsoft revealed the release date and price of the Xbox Series X. Originally scheduled for a November 17 release date, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is now the next generation’s big launch title.

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Assassin's Creed Valhalla launches with Xbox Series X | S on November 10, 2020.
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Upgrade from Xbox One to Xbox Series X at no additional cost. pic.twitter.com/dGukVP5U8g

— Assassin's Creed (@assassinscreed) September 9, 2020

The announcement tweet notes that the game will launch on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Stadia, and PC on that date as well. The PlayStation 5 isn’t mentioned, but that may change as details about the console’s launch are expected soon.

Xbox One owners can upgrade the game to Xbox Series X for no additional cost, as Ubisoft will utilize the console’s Smart Delivery feature for the title.

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Giovanni Colantonio

Senior Gaming Editor

As Digital Trends' Senior Gaming Editor, Giovanni Colantonio oversees all things video games at Digital Trends. As a veteran…

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Yasuke in Assassin's Creed Shadows fighting an enemy. He's dressed in his samurai armor.

Assassin's Creed Shadows was officially revealed a couple of weeks ago in a beefy cinematic trailer showing off its dual protagonists, Yasuke and Naoe. It's a big moment for fans of the series, as Shadows is finally the Feudal Japan Assassin's Creed game fans have been asking for since it was teased back in the very first entry in the franchise in 2007.

Does it live up to that long wait? Ahead of today's Ubisoft Forward stream, I saw an extended gameplay presentation for Assassin's Creed Shadows that gave me a much better sense of what to expect this fall. The team behind it is looking to blend newer series entries like Valhalla, Odyssey, and Origins into the more traditional Assassin's Creed titles from over a decade ago. And that seems like it could be a winning formula.
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During the presentation, I saw both of Shadows' playable characters in action -- and they're quite different from one another. Yasuke's Samurai stature and hulking physique command respect from villagers when he walks by. They bow to him, move out of his way, and clearly show signs of admiration. His combat skills also match this, giving him access to actions like a shoulder charge to break down doors or knock enemies off balance.

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Yasuke in Assassin's Creed Shadows fighting an enemy. He's dressed in his samurai armor.

Ubisoft unveiled Assassin's Creed Shadows last week, giving us our first real glimpse at the first Assassin's Creed game to be set in Japan. Its Feudal Japan setting is something that fans of Assassin's Creed have craved for a long time, and while it's awesome that Ubisoft is finally delivering that concept, some other games did beat it to the punch. Many other developers have noticed how fruitful a historical Japan setting can be, from its feudal era all the way until the West started to intervene in the Edo period. As a result, there are quite a few games that I can recommend you check out while you're waiting for Assassin's Creed Shadows' November 15 launch.

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No, Assassin’s Creed Shadows won’t be online only

Yasuke in Assassin's Creed Shadows fighting an enemy. He's dressed in his samurai armor.

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The Assassin's Creed team posted a statement on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday to clarify that the game would only need an online connection to install, and then can be played completely offline after.