Launching on numerous platforms early last month, Assassin's Creed Valhalla has been hailed as one of the best entries in Ubisoft's long-running action franchise. Many were appreciative that the game made notable alterations to the formula of its predecessors, with one of the biggest being the decision to move away from Assassin's Creed Odyssey's progression system and no longer rely on grinding to reach higher levels.
Part of the controversy surrounding Odyssey's progression was that it was purposefully slow to endorse the purchase of EXP boosting microtransactions that players could acquire with real money. While these weren't present in Assassin's Creed Valhalla initially, it seems these same purchasable microtransactions have officially made their way to the game, arriving through the title's in-game store.
As noted by Game Informer, players now have the option to fork out real-world money to advance faster, with two options being available for purchasers. By spending 1,000 "Helix credits" players can get access to a permanent XP boost that provides a 50 percent increase to all experience gathered throughout the game. It amounts to paying around $10, and will be shared across all Assassin's Creed Valhalla save files. Meanwhile, a second and more expensive option exists, with players able to hand over 1,500 Helix credits to access a bundle that offers the 50 percent experience boost and an additional 50 percent money boost, meaning players can obtain both resources at a faster rate.
As for why the company decided to reimplement the controversial feature post-launch, Ubisoft told Game Informer that the microtransactions "allow players who lack the time to fully explore the world of Assassin's Creed Valhalla to be able to acquire the game’s best gear, as well as other items, by accelerating their progress." The studio claims the decision was also made as more post-launch content is added to the game, with the intention being to include those who are currently not boasting an end-game level Eivor. The store containing both boosts can be found in the game's menu for those who want to access it.
As for Assassin's Creed Valhalla, the game has been doing well thus far, boasting the best launch sales for the series to date and an influx of glowing reviews. Its most recent update fixed a host of issues, as well as prepared players for the upcoming Yule Festival event, which is the first on a long roadmap of forthcoming Valhalla post-launch content. It seems Ubisoft has big plans for where Eivor and his clan will set off to next, with two major expansions slated for next year as well as free seasonal events.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla is out now on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Google Stadia.
Source: Game Informer