The News, Explained
Ubisoft released the free Assassin’s Creed Valhalla 1.8.0 update on November 5 at 14:00 UTC, or 11 p.m. in South Korea. It is available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. New Game+ lets you replay the story from the beginning while carrying over your character’s progression. Source Source
New Game+ unlocks after Holy Day, the last quest in Hamtunscire. Ubisoft says that milestone comes before the game’s final ending, so a save that has reached it can start a replay without waiting for the very end of the story. Ubisoft says each successive run gets harder. Source Source
In New Game+, gear and skill books you already own yield Mithril, a new upgrade material, when you encounter them again. Players continuing their current adventure can get Mithril in the Niflheim, Mastery, and River Raid shops. The upgrade cap for Divine gear rises from level 13 to 27, and the update makes it possible to raise gear to Divine quality without the Dawn of Ragnarok expansion. Source Source
The visual changes depend on your console. PSSR 2, which reconstructs a higher-resolution image from a lower-resolution rendering, comes to PS5 Pro. Ubisoft says the default Quality Mode on PS5 Pro runs at 60 frames per second. The new Low Energy Mode runs at 30 frames per second on both PS5 and PS5 Pro. Those figures describe the modes as Ubisoft specifies them. Source Source Source
OYOPICK’s Take
If you are deciding whether to return, check your save before worrying about graphics. After Holy Day, you can restart the story with the character you have built, or you can keep playing your current adventure and get Mithril through the shops. The better choice depends on whether you want the tougher challenge of repeated runs. The visual update on PS5 Pro is a separate benefit. Source Source Source