Six years after launch, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla finally has the one feature its players have wanted more than any other. Ubisoft released Title Update 1.8.0 on Wednesday, November 5, 2026, and the free patch — officially called The Most Requested Update — adds New Game Plus to the Viking open-world epic, alongside a new resource, a higher gear ceiling and upgraded PlayStation 5 Pro support.
The update is available now, free of charge, on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC, and it went live at 14:00 UTC. Valhalla first launched on November 10, 2020, and has now passed 40 million players — and Ubisoft is giving veterans a genuine reason to sail back to England.
What Is in the Valhalla New Game Plus Update?
The headline is New Game Plus, but update 1.8.0 is much bigger than a single mode. The patch adds a new resource called Mithril, raises the maximum upgrade level for Divine Gear from 13 to 27, and introduces an Extended Progression Mode that changes how your power level is calculated. The Rune Forge has been overhauled, with runes now upgradeable for silver and a new Superior tier, and more than 300 engravable runes have been added.
There is also a new Stash system in Ravensthorpe, a free Master Assassin outfit inspired by Naoe from Assassin’s Creed Shadows, and two new achievements. PlayStation 5 Pro players get upgraded PSSR 2 upscaling, and the update rebalances weapons and skills, reworks all three mastery trees and improves dual wielding. Lead Game Designer David Larouche told Xbox Wire that New Game Plus was “definitely the most requested feature from fans”.
How New Game Plus Works in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
New Game Plus in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla lets you restart Eivor’s journey from the beginning while keeping most of your gear, levels and other progression. It is the classic version of the mode from earlier Assassin’s Creed games, and it has been missing from Valhalla since launch.
To unlock it, complete The Holy Day, the final quest of the Hamtunscire region. You do not have to finish the entire campaign or reach the true ending — Ubisoft deliberately placed the unlock earlier because Valhalla is such a large game. Once you have installed update 1.8.0, save your game and the New Game Plus option will appear on the main menu.
Each time you start another New Game Plus run, the game gets progressively harder, so a second or third journey through ninth-century England is not a victory lap. That rising difficulty is what makes the new gear ceiling matter. The mode also changes rewards — in New Game Plus, a piece of gear you already own, or a Book of Knowledge you have already read, gives you Mithril instead, so exploration keeps paying off.
Mithril and the New Gear Ceiling
Mithril is the new resource at the heart of update 1.8.0, and it powers the new endgame. You earn it whenever the game would normally give you a duplicate reward in New Game Plus. You can also find Mithril in Nilfheim, the realm from the Dawn of Ragnarok expansion, and buy it in Mastery and River Raid shops.
Its main use is upgrading Divine Gear. Ubisoft has raised the maximum upgrade level for each piece of Divine Gear from 13 to 27, more than doubling the old ceiling. Reaching those higher levels costs Mithril, so the new resource is the key to keeping your favourite weapons and armour competitive as New Game Plus difficulty climbs.
Under the old cap, a fully upgraded set hit its limit long before a dedicated player ran out of things to do. The new ceiling of 27 gives long-term players a real progression goal again, and it ties into one of the update’s two new achievements: Ivaldi’s Heir, awarded for fully upgrading a piece of Divine Gear.
Extended Progression Mode and the Rune Forge Overhaul
Alongside New Game Plus, update 1.8.0 adds an optional Extended Progression Mode. When it is switched on, your gear upgrades, runes and masteries all contribute to your overall power level, making the power curve more gradual than in the standard game. It is designed for players who want steadier progression across a long second playthrough, rather than a curve that spikes early and flattens out.
The Rune Forge has also been reworked. Runes can now be upgraded for silver directly from the menu, and they can be raised to a new Superior tier. More than 300 new engravable runes have been added, giving players far more choice over how they tune their weapons and armour.
The patch also includes a balance pass: small corrections to skills and a rework of all three mastery trees. Dual wielding is the biggest winner among weapons — sickles, shortswords, scythes and atgeirs now scale their attack animation speed with your Speed stat, from 0.6 times at the low end to 1.5 times at the top, and 1.7 times for the atgeir.
The Ravensthorpe Stash, Free Outfit and New Achievements
One of the most practical additions in The Most Requested Update is the Stash. Accessible in Ravensthorpe, your settlement, the Stash is a new way to store unequipped gear and organise your runes. Anyone who has played Valhalla for dozens of hours knows the problem: an inventory stuffed with gear you might want later. The Stash finally gives it a home.
There is also a free cosmetic reward: a Master Assassin outfit inspired by Naoe, the shinobi protagonist of Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Completionists get two new achievements to chase — Ivaldi’s Heir, for fully upgrading a piece of Divine Gear to the new maximum level, and Circle of Renewal, for completing a New Game Plus run. The update also folds Valhalla into the Animus Hub’s Synchronisation feature.
Why Ubisoft Said No to New Game Plus in 2022 — and Changed Its Mind
The most surprising thing about this update is not what it adds, but that it exists at all. Ubisoft had previously ruled out New Game Plus for Valhalla. In 2022, the studio said the game’s structure made it difficult to create a sufficiently rewarding replay experience, and fans largely accepted that the mode would never come.
New Game Plus has been the single most requested Valhalla feature for years, and the update’s name, The Most Requested Update, is Ubisoft acknowledging that directly. With Valhalla past 40 million players, a free New Game Plus mode six years after launch is a cheap way to bring lapsed players back — and a smart one, with Assassin’s Creed Shadows now out and the franchise in the spotlight.
The timing is good, too. Our report on the new GTA 6 screenshots covers Rockstar’s final pre-launch look at Vice City ahead of the November 19 launch, and our Zelda Ocarina of Time Switch 2 remake review explains why Nintendo’s rebuilt classic is the best-reviewed game of 2026. Against that competition, a free reason to return to one of the biggest games of the decade is a strong offer.
How to Start New Game Plus in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
If you want to jump in, the steps are simple. First, download Title Update 1.8.0 on your platform of choice — it is free, and it should install automatically if you have automatic updates switched on. Then load your existing save and complete The Holy Day, the final quest in the Hamtunscire region, if you have not already. Save your game after installing the update, and the New Game Plus option will appear on the main menu.
Before you start, visit the Rune Forge — the new Superior tier and the 300-plus new runes give you far more build options. Clear space in your inventory using the new Ravensthorpe Stash. And remember that duplicate gear and Books of Knowledge now pay out in Mithril, so it is worth grabbing collectibles you might previously have ignored.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla New Game Plus update free?
Yes. Title Update 1.8.0, The Most Requested Update, is completely free on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC. There is no paid DLC or season pass requirement.
How do you unlock New Game Plus in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla?
Complete The Holy Day, the final quest of the Hamtunscire region. You do not need to finish the whole campaign or reach the true ending. After installing the update, save your game and the New Game Plus option appears on the main menu.
What is Mithril in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla?
Mithril is a new resource added in update 1.8.0. You earn it in New Game Plus when you receive a piece of gear or a Book of Knowledge you already own, and you can also find it in Nilfheim and buy it in Mastery and River Raid shops. It upgrades Divine Gear beyond the old level cap of 13, up to the new maximum of 27.
What Happens Next
The Most Requested Update is live now. There is no word yet on further Valhalla updates, and with the studio’s attention on Assassin’s Creed Shadows, 1.8.0 may be the last major patch the Viking saga receives. If so, it is a fitting send-off: the feature players wanted most, delivered free, six years after launch. For players, the next step is simple — download the update, finish The Holy Day if you have not already, and start the journey again. Eivor’s England is waiting, and this time it hits back harder.