You might remember there was a bit of controversy when Assassin's Creed Odyssey included an option to boost XP with real money back in 2018, and Assassin's Creed Valhalla is now doing the same thing post-launch.
Introduced with the latest update, the 'Permanent XP Boost' gives you 50% more experience across all save games, reducing the grind involved. It costs the equivalent of about $10, or can be bought for $15 including a money boost.
Here's what Ubisoft had to say about it in response to Game Informer:
"As more and more post-launch content becomes available, we want to give the option to players to advance their progression. Utilities allow players who lack the time to fully explore the world of Assassin's Creed Valhalla to be able to acquire the game’s best gear, as well as other items, by accelerating their progress. For instance, these players can purchase maps that uncover some interesting locations in the world, but would still have to visit and play them to get their rewards."
As you might expect, this has already generated quite a bit of discussion and debate in the gaming community, with some suggesting it's a sneaky way of adding in microtransactions after reviewers have already scored the game, and others defending it as a worthwhile optional add-on for a purely single-player experience.
However, it should be noted that Ubisoft reportedly hasn't changed the rate of XP gain for the base game in any fashion, so you shouldn't find that you need to spend money in order to have a satisfying experience.
So, how do you feel about this addition? Give us your thoughts down in the comments below.
Comments 29
Sleazy move by Ubisoft. But we should have known.
"We want to give the option to players to advance their progression"
Ubisoft confusing the words "give" and "sell", please don't pretend this is about giving options because if that was true then there is already a place to put this, in the options screen.
They know exactly what they're doing, putting in such microtransactions after the review period so they can make some extra money for their shareholders (some of whom got fired for rampant sexual harassment and bullying)
God I wish this was an option in real life...
Does it matter it’s a single player adventure game really and if players wish to fast accelerate things and pay for it, then it is their choice to.
No big deal.
I paid a small amount for the treasure map in Forza Horizon 4, so what my choice.
Moan moan moan that’s all some gamers do.
It’s a single player game transaction that’s all.
Either they do this or they go Sony's route and just increase their game by $10. I'd rather have the option of $60+ than $70+.
I think it’s fine. Don’t have any problem with progression in Valhalla as it is, actually find myself overpowered for most missions as I start them. If someone wants to rush it, their choice, but is not really needed to enjoy the game
In this case, I don't really see it as predatory. If the game was built so the only way to really progress was to buy this new 'perk', that would be predatory. I've played about 40 hours of the game already and I'm at level 150. I've been hitting side quests lazily, killing random guards as I come across them, collecting things that I happen to find, and kind of just meandering through the world (like people tend to do with open world games). Assassins Creed Origins was the only one with the option that felt like it was a required purchase. This and Odyssey, to me, did not.
This isn't a bad game, but the story, main character, and location just doesn't have anything on Odyssey. Playing on a Series X, and I still find the previous game was much more beautiful and awe-inspiring just because of the locations. This one feels more empty.
@Trainer This new microtransaction is definitely not a required purchase to progress though the game. Having said that, I'd still say Valhalla is more of an "on sale" kind of purchase.
On one hand, bit of a scummy move, as if this was included at launch, reviewers would have judged them for it.
On the other hand, I've completed the game and only at a couple of stages I felt like I had to 'grind' to level up for the next main story chapter.
So in that sense, these microtransaction won't be of a huge benefit for folks wanting to just complete the main missions ASAP.
Should of seen it coming..
Scummy move no doubts about it.
Remember when you could go to a shop in old AC games and buy a treasure map with in game money, that revealed all types of rewards? Yep, I do.
Every seen how Destiny will allow you to level jump for when new DLC is released so you’re never missing out? Yep, done it myself.
Ubisoft will continue to push these sleezy microtransactions as long as people continue to pay for them. STOP PAYING FOR THEM.
Most will complain then not vote with their wallets. Joke move.
Makes no odds to me. I will not pay extra for a game just to shortcut things.
Unwanted but I expected as much after Ghost Recon Breakpoint.
Personally don't see the big deal. The game works just fine without the microtransactions. If they want to add some meaningless microtransactions to catch some whales, more power to them. As long as the base game is unaffected, I don't see a problem.
Absolutely no issue with this being a single player title. The game plays like it should and I am happy. It is fantastic already. If someone should want to pay their money to get permanent XP increases, then why should this bother me? I'm not doing it. But I won't deny someone else from doing so.
It's a gross move.
I didn't ever felt the need for increased xp, but I do a ton of side content first because it's what I enjoy the most. By the time I'm done and started the campaign, I was aleady lvl400 with 30 mastery points.
But should they want to give players the option, then just give players the damned option! A simple checkbox that makes every foe always even level and done.
Throwing this now feels like they were just hiding it from reviewers in fear it would impact reception.
For those that are defending this, I get your point. It’s a single player game, so what does it matter?
But it does matter if Ubisoft makes it much harder to get XP in a future update & turns the game into a sloggy grind to get people to buy this “XP boost”. And they have already done that in a past AC game, so there is precedence for it.
Activi$ion did the same thing with Destiny until the fanbase found out & got angry with the XP throttling.
Imagine spending $60-120 for a game......and then paying more money that makes you not play it.
I want to say it's scummy, but it really isn't. If the game reviewed poorly that it was a grind and a slog, progress was very slow and it wasn't fun to play, this would be scummy. But it didn't. It reviewed well with critics and fans alike that it was one of the better games in the franchise and well made. And Ubi explicitly said they made it denser and less grindy since people complained about that with Odyssey.
So this isn't necessary money to spend to avoid a game being designed broken like mtx. This is literally Ubisoft offering a way to pay them to skip playing the game. There's a lot of Ubisoft jokes to be had from that. But ultimately it's for people who want a "click to win" button added to the game....for a fee.
Weird feature. Not really scummy. It's a concept that can be VERY badly abused to be scummy, but for this game, it's an expensive Game Genie.
It's interesting that several people in this thread have said they found this game worse than Odyssey. That seems contrary to what I've been hearing in general with people saying this is one of the best AC games.
Never understand the people that pay for these... Surely not many do. You’ve bought a a game so why would you pay even more money just to skip half your game out.
@Dezzy70 It's a lazy and sleazy monetisation tactic, and worse, a straight up lie to your face for why it's there.
Problem: some players don't have the free time to invest to experience our game.
Solution A: Easy mode. Make the game easier and quicker to experience.
Solution B: Add an option in the settings to boost exp gains. Like an unofficial easy mode, that speeds up the progression without changing the balance of the combat or game.
Solution C: Charge 'em money.
The fact that some players don't have enough time to commit to the exp progression system isn't a random problem. It's designed that way.
@Richnj
The game is not hard and on easy difficulty very easy to progress.
I think when you decide to buy a game like this, a big adventure, rpg open world game then you do have a responsibility to yourself to realise it will take a good amount of your time up.
It’s very simple if you don’t have the time don’t buy the game and if you don’t like buying progressive tokens etc, then don’t buy them.
I think UBI did a great job with a great game.
Look how easy it is to mess up and release a really shoddily made game, cyberpunk.
@KelticDevil
I have to defend this, it’s a great game and fun to play and explore and it’s not that hard, it has difficulty levels to choose from.
To me gamers don’t have to buy the game or the tokens etc for progression.
I have been playing for about 15 hours and have no need to buy extra tokens for any progressive reasons, I’m at level 58 so still in early and low at the minute.
I think UBI are a good company and release some great games if you like their type of games.
Could have been a lot worse, hello cyberpunk.
@Dezzy70 There's not a cohesive argument being made here.
1) if the game has an easy mode that makes it easy to progress, then why are exp boosts needed?.
2) If the game has an easy mode that makes it easy to progress, why do you still need to take the responsibility to realise the game will take a long time to complete?.
3) You don't have to defend this. You can like a game without defending absolutely every aspect of it. I really freaking loved Oblivion, but that doesn't mean I was going to defend horse armour.
@Richnj
Perhaps I don’t see it or the possible issue some gamers have. I just enjoy playing it and I guess if I wished I could pay some money to get an XP BOOST, but so far I don’t see the need to.
So I don’t understand all the fuss, if you want to xp boost then pay some money, if you don’t want to like me, then you don’t pay any money.
So far the game seems structured well enough and moves along progressive enough not to pay for anything.
@Dezzy70 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7S-DGTBZU14
@NEStalgia I'm one of those people that think this game is worse than Odyssey. Don't get me wrong, I'm playing it and enjoying it, but I'm just not as involved in its story. The story on Odyssey was so much more engaging, and I definitely liked Cassandra as the main character more than Eivor on this one. Plus, the 'land' on Odyssey was so much nicer. Big beautiful cities, lots of coast line, and just more going on. The combat on this one is definitely better.
@BigP I don't think the people that pay for this kind of thing are people that tend to not have the time to play otherwise. I don't have a lot of free time, and certain games take me months to play but I do eventually make it through. I think this thing is more for the people that do want to play for 100+ hours and they want to get more 'reward' for their buck. They want to be able to walk around powering through everything. I can't see much wrong with that on a first player game. If companies want to exploit over-zealous fans looking for just a little more, than so be it. Especially if it keeps game prices down for everyone else.
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