Assassin's Creed Valhalla director says fans "rightfully expected more" from the trailer

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

The Assassin's Creed Valhalla gameplay trailer was surprisingly light on gameplay, and the game's creative director has owned up to the misunderstanding.

Ashraf Ismail took to his personal Twitter account to address fans who were disappointed by the trailer, which includes plenty of in-engine footage but very few moments that appeared to actually be controlled by a player.

The trailer itself was exciting and informative - we even pulled out 13 details you might have missed from the Assassin's Creed Valhalla gameplay trailer - but it probably should have been called an "in-engine teaser" or something like that instead. In any case, as Ismail said, Ubisoft still has plenty more time to show off the mechanics of the game before its holiday 2020 release date arrives. 

Original story follows

Today's Inside Xbox event, revealing more details about the slate of upcoming Xbox Series X games from third party publishers, has provided us with our first glimpse at Assassin's Creed Valhalla gameplay, following Ubisoft's reveal of the action RPG sequel last week. 

The gameplay teaser, which ended Microsoft's digital showcase for the Xbox Series X, is as gorgeous, action packed, and memorable as you'd expect, though perhaps not quite as revealing as the full demos that Ubisoft is traditionally known for saving till their E3 press conferences. You can watch the full thing for yourself in the video below: 

As you can see, there's plenty to love about Assassin's Creed: Valhalla right now, and the game looks to be in pretty good shape judging from this small vertical slice of what is expected to be an overwhelmingly large experience. While primarily set in the 9th Century Britain seen here, we also know that parts of Norway will also be open to exploration during the early stages of Valhalla's story campaign. 

Outside of this latest look at Assassin's Creed: Valhalla gameplay, Ubisoft has also confirmed that ambitious next entry in the open world series will once again let you play as a man or woman, is being worked on by 15 different studios, and is scheduled to release this Holiday 2020 on Xbox Series X and PS5 as well as current consoles. 

Assassin's Creed: Valhalla isn't the only next gen project being shown off by Team Xbox today, so be sure to stick with GamesRadar+ for all the latest coverage of the event, including every new game reveal, as it continues online right now. 

Excited for the upcoming Viking adventure? Here's where you can preorder Assassin's Creed Valhalla to guarantee your copy. 

Alex Avard

I'm GamesRadar's Features Writer, which makes me responsible for gracing the internet with as many of my words as possible, including reviews, previews, interviews, and more. Lucky internet! 

Latest in Assassin's Creed
Assassin's Creed Shadows screenshot showing Yasuke kneeling and praying while wearing a traditional purple robe
Assassin's Creed Shadows channels the MCU with an intro that celebrates Ezio, Altair, and other heroes from the series' 17-year history
Assassin's Creed Shadows
Is Assassin's Creed Shadows multiplayer and does it have co-op?
Assassin's Creed Shadows
Is Assassin's Creed Shadows on Game Pass?
Assassin's Creed Shadows romance options Naoe pulling Gennojo in for a kiss
All Assassin's Creed Shadows romance options
Yasuke swinging a sword at an enemy and splattering blood during the trailer for Assassin's Creed Shadows.
Assassin's Creed Shadows has an innovative accessibility feature for hard-of-hearing and neurodiverse players, and I hope it becomes the industry standard
Being hunted by two people watching you from bamboo in Assassin's Creed Shadows
Drop everything, because I just found out Assassin's Creed Shadows' ninja province was real
Latest in News
Assassin's Creed Shadows screenshot showing Yasuke kneeling and praying while wearing a traditional purple robe
Assassin's Creed Shadows channels the MCU with an intro that celebrates Ezio, Altair, and other heroes from the series' 17-year history
"Valve would never ship another game": Former exec forced Half-Life publisher's hand by saying Gabe Newell and the team would pivot away from game dev
Witcher comics Geralt
"Something for true collectors": CD Projekt CEO shares his nostalgia for the "super retro" Witcher comics that are coming out in English for the first time
Godzilla emerging from an exploding volcano.
Win a Blu-ray of Godzilla vs Biollante
Baldur's Gate 3 pale vampire elf Astarion, a man with curly white hair and red eyes
A new Baldur's Gate 3 Patch 8 stress test update is here, targeting "several crashes and gameplay fixes" while it "brings us closer to release" of the RPG's big update
Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock in Daredevil: Born Again
Daredevil: Born Again fan compiles all the teasers the show hasn't used yet, and it seems Wilson Fisk's scariest scene is still to come