Assassin's Creed Valhalla has been highly anticipated since its announcement trailer which showed the franchise dive into Norse mythology and battles in the United Kingdom. Many fans have been eager to find out more about the upcoming title and the May Xbox 20/20 event which was designed to showcase third-party titles was expected to deliver this information. Unfortunately, what had been advertised by Ubisoft and Xbox as a gameplay reveal did not deliver and focused on a cinematic montage.
Some fans were disappointed at the Xbox event as a whole, but fans of Assassin's Creed were focused on this gameplay video. The stealth and action franchise began in 2007 and has managed to cultivate a large fan base through its historical themes and enjoyable game mechanics. Many noted that previous gameplay reveals had been more extensive and insightful. In response, the Creative Director of Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Ashraf Ismail, released a statement on Twitter.
The statement from Ismail thanked fans for their excitement and stated, "You rightfully expected to see more today" before explaining that there was a lengthy marketing campaign to come. While many fans are excited about the game, and the video that was released was enigmatic and engaging, some may wonder how this miscommunication came to be. It seems that Ubisoft themselves labeled the video as gameplay and Xbox advertised the reveal as such. However, it seems both parties involved should have explained to fans what to expect and some invested players are placing the blame for a disappointing video with Xbox. Interestingly, despite making the video and delivering the material for the event, Ubisoft seems to have escaped the wrath of the majority of fans. Many will now look forward to more information about Assassin's Creed Valhalla.
The team behind the game will hope that the other marketing material will capture the excitement of fans more convincingly after some claimed that the Assassin's Creed Valhalla was the worst part of the Xbox event. Despite this, the Assassin's Creed franchise is well established and it should be back on track as more content is teased and the release date comes closer.
There is no doubt that the gameplay reveal for Assassin's Creed Valhalla was lackluster, but the game made a huge impression with the original cinematic trailer, and excitement still surrounds the title. Many will still look forward to becoming a Nordic assassin and will once again be eager to find out more information about the game.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla releases holiday 2020 for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.