Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Finally Gets New Game+ in Free Update 1.8.0

A long-requested replay mode finally arrives

Ubisoft has released Title Update 1.8.0 for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla on November 5, 2026. Called The Most Requested Update, the free patch brings New Game+, a redesigned progression option, more equipment upgrades and improvements for PS5 Pro. The company says the patch is available on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC. This is a substantial return to a game that players might reasonably have assumed was finished receiving major changes. Ubisoft previously described New Game+ as one of the community’s most requested additions, and its appearance now gives longtime players a different reason to revisit Eivor’s journey rather than simply loading an old save and exploring.

How New Game+ works

New Game+ lets players begin the story again while retaining progression. It unlocks after completing the Holy Day quest, the final quest in the Hamtunscire region. Ubisoft notes that this point comes before the game's true ending, a deliberate decision because the original adventure is so long. Each additional New Game+ run increases the difficulty, which is important for returning players whose existing equipment and skills could otherwise make early encounters feel too easy. It is a replay option rather than an entirely new campaign: the narrative and locations remain familiar, but your accumulated character development changes how you approach them. Players who have never reached Holy Day will need to progress that far before using the feature.

Mithril and the revised upgrade economy

New Game+ introduces Mithril, a resource that gives repeated exploration a practical reward. If you find a piece of equipment or a Book of Knowledge you already own during a replay, the duplicate becomes Mithril instead. Ubisoft also lists Niflheim, Mastery and River Raid shops as alternate sources. This matters because previously acquired rewards do not simply become pointless pickups on a second journey. The patch also changes Wealth Chest resources: Carbon, Nickel and Tungsten rewards become Platinum ingots, previously associated with Dawn of Ragnarok. Divine-quality equipment upgrades are now accessible without owning that expansion, and Divine gear can be improved as far as level 27. Those higher levels use Mithril, so players have reasons to collect the new resource even after the main story is finished.

A different way to measure character strength

An optional Extended Progression Mode changes the relationship between equipment and Eivor’s Power rating. With it enabled, gear upgrades and runes add to Power, while Masteries increase Power for every five skill points. The idea is to give decisions about equipment and long-term progression more weight. Importantly, the mode is optional. Someone who likes the existing progression system can keep it, while a returning player looking for a more demanding or granular experience can experiment. The changes also sit alongside balance adjustments to weapons, mastery bonuses and various combat statistics. Ubisoft’s full patch notes include individual numerical changes, which are more useful to dedicated build enthusiasts than a headline list can be.

A stash for Ravensthorpe and a bigger Rune Forge

Inventory management is another focus. Ravensthorpe now has a Stash that can hold equipment and runes, giving players a place to organise items instead of keeping everything in the active inventory. For a game with an enormous map and a steady flow of rewards, this is a practical quality-of-life addition. The Rune Forge can also upgrade runes, including a new Superior tier. Earlier upgrades use silver, while the highest tier requires Mithril. Ubisoft says more than 300 perks can now be engraved as runes, including perks added since the original launch. Eligible owned weapons and armour sets can provide their perks through the engraving menu. That offers additional combinations for players who like experimenting with different equipment effects instead of relying on a single familiar setup.

PS5 Pro visuals and what the update does not promise

PlayStation 5 Pro receives upgraded PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution support, described by Ubisoft as PSSR 2. The publisher says this produces a sharper and more stable 4K presentation and lets Quality Mode run at 60 frames per second on PS5 Pro. Ubisoft says it achieved the improvements through rendering changes rather than replacing the game’s assets. These are the developer’s stated performance targets, not independent measurements of every scene or display configuration. The patch also includes a Low Energy Mode on PS5 and PS5 Pro targeting 30 frames per second. Players on other platforms still receive the gameplay changes, but should not assume that the PS5 Pro-specific visual features are available on their machines.

Rewards, achievements and Animus Hub

A Master Assassin outfit inspired by Naoe from Assassin’s Creed Shadows is being added as a free reward. The patch also adds two achievements or trophies connected to fully upgrading Divine equipment and completing New Game+. Animus Hub Synchronization support expands to Valhalla, allowing eligible activity to contribute to cross-game objectives. Ubisoft has discussed additional premium character packs and utility bundles, but those should not be confused with the free core update. Anyone primarily interested in New Game+, the progression systems and the stash does not need to buy a new edition of the game just to access those patch features.

Patch sizes and what players should check

The download size differs considerably by platform. Ubisoft lists 12.27GB for Ubisoft Connect, 7.8GB on Steam, 15.02GB on Xbox Series X|S, 5.26GB on PS5, 13.42GB on PS4 and 13.8GB on Xbox One. Those are patch download figures rather than total installed game sizes, so users should still check free storage and their platform’s update screen. If the game does not immediately offer New Game+, first verify that the update is installed and that the Holy Day quest has been completed. The feature’s arrival years after launch is unusual, but the practical story is straightforward: players can now replay Valhalla with their established progression, and several systems have been changed to make that second journey worthwhile.

Sources

Ubisoft’s official Title Update 1.8.0 patch notes: https://www.ubisoft.com/en-us/game/assassins-creed/news/74wt4upd0nKmJsZDHo933S/assassins-creed-valhalla-title-update-180-the-most-requested-update . PlayStation Blog’s November 5 engineering interview: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/11/05/assassins-creed-valhalla-new-update-brings-new-game-upgraded-pssr-support-for-ps5-pro-today/ .