The modern-day aspects of Assassin's Creed Valhalla are even closer to our reality than we thought, with the latest in the series referencing COVID. Read on, but be warned of minor spoilers.
Still here? A letter buried within the game reveals the current-day Valhalla protagonist (that is, the one who's not the Viking) Layla Hassan, explaining that she didn't have COVID and that she was isolating herself for other reasons.
It should be noted that this would not be the very first video game to make reference to the current pandemic. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 and Watch Dogs: Legion have both made reference to the disaster that put much of the world on pause. It seems only natural that the video game world would pick up on referencing the COVID pandemic, as it led to quite a few delays for major titles. Assassin's Creed Valhalla even saw its own development issues due to the pandemic, making it the perfect title to make reference to current events.
The character of Layla Hassan was also featured in the previous Assassin's Creed titles, Origins and Odyssey. Her section of Valhalla's story takes place in the current day, where the COVID pandemic has no doubt played a part in that fictional world just like it has in ours. It's become commonplace for Assassin's Creed games to feature a portion of the story that takes place in modern times.
Players can look forward to experiencing the troubles of the real world as much as the drama of Viking Life when Assassin's Creed Valhalla drops for the Xbox Series X with launch on November 10 and on the PS5 on its launch day of November 12.
Learn more about all the Assassin's Creed characters with our complete timeline of the franchise's story so far.
