At last month’s launch, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla didn’t contain any form of paid XP boosts. It was a welcome change for sure, though, the omission seemed strange as the previous entry, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, did contain them. However, Ubisoft has decided to add them to Assassin’s Creed Valhalla post launch, making paid XP boosts a way to speed up progression.
In all honesty, I’m not a fan of this way of doing things. Sure, it does mean that development for standard XP gains was unaffected by microtransactions at launch, but it feels like a sly way to avoid bad press. Things like paid XP boosters are often noted if progression affects the reviewer while playing, and adding them in at a later date can avoid that backlash.
The new micro-DLC drop adds “Utility” to the in-game store. The cost of this perk is 1000 Helix credits, which is about $10 USD. It adds a 50% XP boost to a player profile. There’s another booster pack too, that combines this XP gain with a 50% cash gain, costing 1500 Helix credits.
In response to questioning by Game Informer, Ubisoft gave a bog standard PR reply. The company said that adding these in as more content becomes available is a way for players to keep up if they have less time to play. Ubisoft is adamant that the boosters merely accelerate progress, and don’t negatively affect those who don’t purchase them. This response doesn’t explain why they have been added after launch though, which again, feels underhanded to avoid the feature being brought up in reviews.
Patching up
When it comes to new content, Ubisoft is already on its way to delivering on its Valhalla roadmap. A few days ago, the developer deployed a patch to ready the game for upcoming events and DLC, among general bug fixes. A free update to settlements arrives this month, while the first paid expansion, Wrath of the Druids, drops next spring for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.
