Assassin's Creed Valhalla now gives Eivor the chance to journey through England again without treating years of progress as disposable. Ubisoft added New Game+ in the free Title Update 1.8.0 on November 5, 2026, alongside Mithril, more Divine gear levels, an expanded Rune Forge and a stash in Ravensthorpe. If you already finished the Viking saga, there is finally an official way to replay it with a stronger character.
The important question isn't simply where the New Game+ button lives. It's when you unlock it, which upgrades are worth preparing, and how the revised economy rewards a second run. Ubisoft's official patch notes and its designer interview on Xbox Wire provide the answers—and reveal a few details players shouldn't guess.
How to unlock New Game+ in Valhalla
You need to complete Holy Day, the final quest in the Hamtunscire region. Ubisoft deliberately chose this point instead of requiring every last story beat, so you can unlock New Game+ before seeing the game's full ending.
If the option isn't available yet, check your quest log rather than assuming the patch hasn't installed. You may still have the Hamtunscire story to finish. The announcement establishes the quest requirement, but does not specify a universal button sequence for every platform; use the New Game+ option displayed by your updated game once eligible.
Every successive New Game+ cycle scales the challenge upward. This is not merely a replay at the same enemy difficulty with a maxed-out character: the developers want a veteran Eivor to keep facing meaningful resistance.
Does all your equipment carry over?
Ubisoft says New Game+ lets you carry much of your progression into another playthrough. Its overview specifically highlights starting again with the gear and character development you've earned. It does not, however, publish an exhaustive item-by-item transfer table in the launch notes.
That distinction matters for collectibles, quest-specific items and any equipment tied to a particular story choice. Keep a backup or preserve an older save before starting another run if you want the option to return to your original campaign. Don't rely on an unverified promise that absolutely everything will transfer.
What happens when you find duplicate gear?
The new economy makes repeat exploration more worthwhile. Picking up equipment you already own, or finding a Book of Knowledge you've previously collected, grants Mithril instead. That is a direct answer to a longstanding New Game+ problem: opening a familiar chest no longer necessarily gives you a useless copy.
Mithril isn't restricted to duplicate rewards. Ubisoft lists alternative sources in the Niflheim, Mastery and River Raid shops, so players who prefer to remain in the endgame can still work on their builds rather than immediately restarting the story.
An additional loot adjustment makes older upgrade materials useful again. In New Game+, wealth chests that would previously have yielded Carbon, Nickel or Tungsten give Platinum instead. Platinum upgrades open Divine gear quality without requiring Dawn of Ragnarök, making this high-end equipment path available even to people who don't own that expansion.
Divine upgrades: what's the new maximum?
The headline number is 27. The maximum upgrade level for Divine equipment has risen from 13 to 27, giving experienced players a longer endgame progression ladder. Higher levels use Mithril, so the new resource is a meaningful part of the upgrade loop rather than a cosmetic collectible.
This doesn't mean every sword becomes Divine automatically, nor that an upgraded weapon's effectiveness can be reduced to a single headline number. Gear type, perk synergies, runes and combat style still matter.
A useful preparation strategy is to focus first on a small set of weapons and armor pieces you genuinely enjoy using. Then treat duplicate rewards and shop supplies as ways to improve that build. If you try to upgrade everything at once, the patch's expanded ceiling can easily become another resource grind.
Extended Progression and the Rune Forge explained
You do not need to enter New Game+ to benefit from every new system. Ubisoft says the additional progression and Rune Forge changes are available to players continuing their existing save.
Extended Progression is optional. When enabled, gear upgrades and runes contribute one point each to Eivor's overall Power, while Masteries increase that Power every five skill points. The result is a more granular measure of improvement than the previous leveling setup. Ubisoft pairs this mode with harder challenges; it isn't a guaranteed universal boost to damage regardless of equipment.
The Rune Forge now allows you to upgrade runes using silver, eventually reaching a new Superior tier. That final tier uses Mithril instead. More than 300 perks have been added to the pool of engravable rune effects, including perks from DLC and Helix Store equipment. Ubisoft states that owned weapon or armor perks can be engraved for 450 silver, opening up more unusual combinations.
The practical opportunity is experimentation. Instead of chasing one obvious endgame weapon, you can build around stealth, critical hits, poison or a favorite weapon pairing while improving the runes that support it.
Where is the new gear stash?
Ravensthorpe now has a Stash for storing gear and runes outside your active inventory. The launch notes describe it as a newly installed stash in the settlement; find it there and interact with it to move equipment into storage.
This may sound modest, but it's a welcome change in a game with years of additional weapons, armor sets and cosmetic rewards. Before a New Game+ run, separating equipment you actively use from gear you merely collect should make management less frustrating.
Ubisoft also includes a free Master Assassin outfit inspired by Naoe from Assassin's Creed Shadows. The official image accompanying this guide shows that outfit in Valhalla itself; it is not a screenshot captured by GameLogNews.
Patch size and PS5 Pro improvements
Title Update 1.8.0 is free and launched on PC, PlayStation and Xbox. The download varies substantially by storefront. Ubisoft lists 7.8 GB on Steam, 12.27 GB on Ubisoft Connect, 5.26 GB on PS5 and 15.02 GB on Xbox Series X|S, with separate sizes for PS4 and Xbox One.
On PS5 Pro, the update includes PSSR 2 support for improved image quality. The announcement talks about sharper visuals and a better presentation, but the official notes are not a substitute for independent frame-time or resolution testing. Don't treat every reported graphical benefit as a benchmark confirmed on all consoles.
The update also adjusts combat balance across weapon classes and Mastery bonuses. If you return after months away and your familiar weapon suddenly feels different, check the complete patch notes before assuming it's a bug.
Should you start over immediately?
If you miss exploring England, want to experiment with a different Eivor build or simply enjoy replaying a large RPG with more tools, New Game+ is the obvious attraction. Finish Holy Day first, preserve a save you're happy with and take stock of your favorite equipment. Then make a plan for Mithril, Divine upgrades and the new Rune Forge.
If you're still in the middle of your first playthrough, there's no reason to rush. The stash, rune improvements and optional Extended Progression mode can already improve that original journey. The extra difficulty of repeated New Game+ cycles will still be there when you're ready.
Ubisoft's developer interview on Xbox Wire makes the intent clear: this update is meant to give dedicated players more ways to grow, not replace the original campaign. For a Viking adventure that once seemed finished, that's a pretty compelling reason to return. Would you replay Eivor's story with your strongest build—or start experimenting with a completely different fighting style?
Source date: November 5, 2026