Forget the Vikings, Assassin's Creed Valhalla lets you recruit a cat to your longboat crew

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That's Captain Fluffington to you, sir

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

Recruiting a solid crew for your longboat is going to be a big part of Assassin's Creed Valhalla, but it turns out your recruits don't always have to be big burly Vikings. Your crew can also include cats. 

Yes, you read that right, a cat can be part of your fierce Viking longboat crew. I'm not talking some strong, streetwise thing either, it's rather one of the big, white, fluffy persuasion. 

One of the side missions (known as Mysteries in Assassin's Creed Valhalla) that I got to experience during my preview session with the game, saw me having a chat with a cat called Nali. Much to the chagrin of its owner, ever since its owner died the "old sea-cat has run wild, scaring the chickens and scratching."

Well, after a little chase, it turns out that Nali takes quite the shine to Eivor, and you're given the option whether to recruit the puss to your crew. And thankfully, it isn't just a silly thing. Nali will actually appear on your longboat from then on.

"Yes, you can recruit the cat from Norwich. That's very modern," laughs game director, Eric Baptizat when I ask him about it in an interview. "We always have a lot of fun with animals, and human relationships with animals."

"Something that also brings a fresh, new perspective, are the new animals [for Valhalla]," he adds. "There are very unique animals that are unexpected, like seals and puffins. So there’s really a variety of new animals in the world."

Fingers crossed we can eventually get a Viking puffin on board when Assassin's Creed Valhalla arrives later this year on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, PC and Google Stadia. 

We've put on our finest warpaint, jumped in the longboat, and played a huge chunk of this latest adventure in our Assassin's Creed Valhalla preview. 

Sam Loveridge
Sam Loveridge
Brand Director, GamesRadar+

Sam Loveridge is the Brand Director and former Global Editor-in-Chief of GamesRadar. She joined the team in August 2017. Sam came to GamesRadar after working at TrustedReviews, Digital Spy, and Fandom, following the completion of an MA in Journalism. In her time, she's also had appearances on The Guardian, BBC, and more. Her experience has seen her cover console and PC games, along with gaming hardware, for a decade, and for GamesRadar, she's in charge of the site's overall direction, managing the team, and making sure it's the best it can be. Her gaming passions lie with weird simulation games, big open-world RPGs, and beautifully crafted indies. She plays across all platforms, and specializes in titles like Pokemon, Assassin's Creed, The Sims, and more. Basically, she loves all games that aren't sports or fighting titles! In her spare time, Sam likes to live like Stardew Valley by cooking and baking, growing vegetables, and enjoying life in the countryside.