Assassin's Creed Valhalla Adds New Game Plus, Stash Storage and Expanded Progression

Assassin's Creed Valhalla has received a substantial new update centered on features players have requested since the Viking-era adventure launched four years ago. Titled The Most Requested Update, the patch finally introduces New Game Plus, while also expanding storage, equipment upgrading, runes, achievements and high-end PlayStation 5 Pro image-quality support.

The headline addition is plainly New Game Plus, a replay option that gives players a reason to return to Eivor's enormous journey after completing the core campaign. But the update is not simply a menu toggle for starting over. It is paired with a new progression framework, a much higher gear-upgrade ceiling and systems intended to make repeated playthroughs progressively more demanding.

For a game as sprawling as Valhalla, the arrival of a formal replay mode is significant. The main campaign takes Eivor across Norway and England, with regional story arcs, settlement development, gear hunting and optional activities occupying a considerable amount of time. The new mode acknowledges that players who have already reached the end may want to revisit that world without treating the second journey exactly like a fresh save.

New Game Plus unlocks before the final ending

New Game Plus becomes available after players finish the Holy Day quest, the final quest in the Hamtunscire region. This point arrives before the game's true ending, but the choice was made to allow access slightly earlier than that final narrative conclusion. Given the scale of the adventure, this should let players begin a repeat run without needing to clear every last piece of endgame storytelling first.

For useful background on this topic, read Former Square Enix Executive Criticizes Steam Approval Delays as Valve Promises to Scale Reviews.

There is one practical requirement for returning players: a save must be made after installing the update before the New Game Plus option is unlocked. Anyone planning to jump back into an old completed file will therefore need to load it and create a new post-patch save.

Each New Game Plus iteration is designed to become tougher. That escalating difficulty gives the feature more purpose than a straightforward victory lap, particularly for players who have accumulated powerful builds and want the campaign to continue pushing back. It also fits the update's broader focus on making gear choices, upgrades and individual bonuses matter more across a longer-term save.

Two new achievements are included for completion-minded players. One is tied to finishing New Game Plus, while the other requires fully upgrading divine gear. Those goals connect directly to the patch's larger investment systems and give players clear milestones beyond simply reaching the credits again.

Gear upgrades now reach level 27

To support New Game Plus and more demanding repeat playthroughs, the maximum gear upgrade level has increased from 13 to 27. Reaching those higher levels requires a newly added resource: mithril. The update makes clear that players should expect to need a substantial amount of it.

This is an important structural change for players who have already settled on favorite weapon combinations or armor sets. Prior to this patch, a completed build could eventually feel finished. Raising the limit creates room to keep improving a preferred loadout, whether that means a heavy two-handed weapon approach, a dual-wield setup or a more specialized configuration built around particular perks and rune effects.

Mithril is also not restricted to basic weapon and armor upgrades. It is tied into the revised rune system as well, meaning players will need to weigh where their resources are best spent. A powerful piece of divine gear and an upgraded set of runes may both compete for the same material, which should make decisions about build refinement more meaningful.

Extended Progression Mode changes how Power grows

The update's other major gameplay addition is Extended Progression Mode. Ubisoft describes it as a way to give progression more granularity and to increase the effect of a player's gear. The central adjustment is that gear upgrades and runes each add one Power point, while Masteries provide Power every five skill points.

That differs from a progression model where equipment improvements can feel detached from overall character strength. With the new mode active, upgrading a weapon, investing in armor or refining rune choices contributes more directly to Eivor's Power. The result should be a clearer relationship between time spent improving a build and the character's measurable growth.

The trade-off is challenge. Extended Progression Mode is intended to make the experience harder even as it provides greater rewards for an optimized character. Players looking to test established endgame builds may find that the mode delivers a more deliberate loop: identify the equipment and rune combinations that fit a chosen playstyle, secure mithril, upgrade them, and then take on stronger opposition in New Game Plus.

Its arrival also suggests that the update is aimed at more than a single return trip through the story. With repeated New Game Plus cycles becoming harder, an expanded upgrade cap and a Power system linked to gear, there is a fuller long-term progression path for those prepared to keep developing Eivor beyond a first completed campaign.

Runes get upgrades, superior tiers and more engraving choices

Runes receive one of the update's most extensive overhauls. They can now be upgraded with mithril and can reach a new superior tier. That gives players another way to strengthen an existing build rather than replacing a favored rune as soon as something with a better base effect appears.

The rune forge's engraving page has also been greatly expanded. More than 300 runes can now be engraved, encompassing perks added throughout Assassin's Creed Valhalla's lifespan. That includes content introduced through DLC as well as items obtained from the Helix Store.

For players who enjoy carefully tuning stats and bonuses, this broader list could be one of the update's most impactful elements. Engraving opens the door to bringing more specific perks into a chosen setup, and the ability to improve runes further adds another layer to experimentation. It should also help long-time players make use of the extensive catalogue of effects introduced over the years rather than leaving them fragmented across different sources.

The patch additionally includes balance work aimed at stat runes, skill masteries and their bonuses. Exact results will depend on the individual build, but the intent is clear: the systems around equipment are being adjusted as a connected whole instead of treating New Game Plus as an isolated feature.

A Stash offers relief for overflowing inventories

Players who have spent a long time collecting armor, weapons and runes will now have a more convenient way to manage it all. Ravensthorpe has received a Stash that can store any item of gear and any rune from the player inventory.

That may sound like a simple quality-of-life addition, but it addresses a particularly practical issue in a game that has steadily added equipment and collectible bonuses. A Stash gives players a place to keep alternate loadouts and less frequently used pieces without having everything sitting in the active inventory. It should be especially useful when setting aside situational runes, holding onto visually appealing armor sets, or organizing options for different combat styles.

The storage feature also complements the revised progression systems. When more gear can be upgraded and hundreds of rune perks can be engraved, players have greater incentive to retain items that may become useful for future experimentation. The Stash makes that broader collection easier to live with.

PS5 Pro receives PSSR 2 improvements

On the visual side, the PlayStation 5 Pro version receives PSSR 2 support and additional PSSR optimizations. The stated goal is to improve 4K image quality while allowing Quality mode to run at 60 frames per second on PS5 Pro.

That is a notable upgrade for players who prioritize the visual detail of Valhalla's landscapes, settlements and dense historical environments but do not want to sacrifice smoother performance. The game's world ranges from snowy Norwegian peaks to English countryside, fortified towns and busy settlements, so improvements to image reconstruction and frame rate can have a visible effect across a wide variety of scenes.

The patch also contains a lengthy selection of balance changes beyond the headline systems. Among the stated targets are making dual wielding feel better, refining stat runes, and rebalancing skill masteries and the bonuses they grant. These adjustments reinforce the update's emphasis on combat builds and character development, rather than only adding a replay option for finished saves.

A late-game overhaul for dedicated Vikings

The Most Requested Update is built around the needs of players who have already given Assassin's Creed Valhalla a great deal of time. New Game Plus answers a longstanding request, but it arrives with systems that make replaying more than a familiar trip through the campaign. Stronger gear, improved runes, expanded engraving, escalating New Game Plus difficulty and Extended Progression Mode together create a deeper endgame framework.

For returning players, the first step is simple: install the update, load a completed save, make a new save, and ensure the Holy Day quest has been completed. From there, Eivor's saga can begin again with more room to build, store, optimize and face a tougher version of the Viking Age.