Assassin’s Creed Team Says Valhalla Was Too Big
Ubisoft developers reflect on Valhalla’s massive scale while Shadows takes a more focused approach
Before the spotlight shifted to Assassin’s Creed Shadows, many fans still remember Assassin’s Creed Valhalla—the Viking-themed action RPG released in late 2020 as a cross-generation title. The game was one of the largest entries in the franchise, with a vast open world and an extensive lineup of story expansions that continued for over two years.
Recently, during the reveal of Shadows’ new content update Claws of Awaji, Ubisoft’s Simon Arsenault reflected on Valhalla in an interview with GamesRadar. He admitted that while Valhalla was impressive, it ultimately grew “too big.” The main campaign alone already demanded a huge time investment, and once paid story DLCs and post-launch updates were added, the game became even larger. According to data, finishing just the base campaign took players around 60 hours significantly longer than earlier titles like Origins and Odyssey.
By contrast, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is designed with a clearer scope. The average first playthrough is estimated at around 30 hours, making it more manageable for players. Arsenault explained that while development teams always want to add as much content as possible, deadlines force tough decisions, and it’s crucial to focus on what truly matters to deliver a polished core experience.
Looking back, Valhalla also faced criticism for being too empty at times, with less engaging content compared to previous entries. This shift in approach signals Ubisoft’s intent to balance scale with focus in future Assassin’s Creed games.
Now the question remains: do players prefer massive, long adventures or tighter, more concentrated experiences?
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Google Stadia, and PC. The game follows Eivor, a Viking warrior navigating England’s Dark Ages, building settlements, and shaping the world through player-driven choices, with expansions covering Norse mythology and Ragnarok.
