Sure, Fortnite may have its Winterfest and Overwatch may have its Winter Wonderland, but Vikings? Vikings practically invented the winter solstice, and Ubisoft shows that in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s free holiday update called the “Yule Festival.”
Valhalla’s Yule Festival runs from December 17th to January 7th, allowing players to collect some free cosmetics and play with some new activities. Note: You must complete one storyline (Grantebridgescire or Ledecestrescire) to access the Yule Festival.
The first thing that players will likely notice is the expansion to Ravensthorpe, the settlement that players establish as Eivor early in the game. The area is much more snow-sure due to the winter solstice, and the settlement has been set up in preparation for festivities.
Side activities include drunken fights (the best kind), archery challenges, and others. Players who play during the activities will receive “Yule Tokens” to exchange for cosmetic rewards, such as new outfits for Eivor.
Here’s the full list of Yule rewards.
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Mōdraniht Ceremonial Outfit
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Mōdraniht tattoo set
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Mōdraniht Ceremonial Seax
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Mōdraniht ceremonial shield
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Traditional Yule Garland
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Sacrificial altar
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Ritual tree decorations
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Cozy fire pit
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Yule beech tree
Starting December 22, players can also purchase the Niflheim theme from the Ubisoft store, which includes a stunning blue set of winter armor and a reindeer horse, and even turns your crow into a tiny ice dragon.
Players with an artistic side can try out the Valhalla community competition. Players can submit a photo or video for a chance to win Valhalla’s official art book and $ 50 in in-game Helix credits. That runs from December 17 to January 1. Details can be found on the official Assassin’s Creed Discord or Twitter.
Ubisoft says the Yule season will also continue in February, with a new replayable River Raid mode and the addition of ranks to the Jomsvikings recruits you meet on your adventures.
As if that wasn’t enough, the real village of Ravensthorpe (located in Northamptonshire in England and with a welcoming population of around 500-600 people) will be offering an Assassin’s Creed Valhalla themed takeout menu to customers at the local Checkers Pub. . So come full if you feel like driving to the countryside, but don’t expect to find real vikings. Valhalla narrative director Darby McDevitt told Eurogamer that the game’s settlement is so similar to the real city, it’s a total coincidence.
If you need to hurry to get to the Yule Festival, check out IGN’s Assassin’s Creed Valhalla wiki, where you’ll find a full walkthrough, tips for beginners, and guides to the best weapons and armor and more. Fortunately, Ubisoft’s latest patch has also fixed a number of bugs, making the ax swing smoother.
Joseph Knoop is a writer / producer / real Saxon for IGN.