Assassin's Creed: Valhalla's Setting EXPLAINED

Well, firstly, it's worth talking about when exactly we think this story will be set. Since it's been confirmed that the king we see in the trailers is Alfred the Great, it's safe to say this adventure should take place during his reign. Alfred was the King of Wessex between 871-886, and would then go on to be the King of the Anglo-Saxons until 899.

This puts us slightly after the first Viking invasion of England, but deep enough into "the Viking era" (which is around 793-1066) that things will be much more complex than "invade a place and take all their shinies". Vikings as we know them weren't a team, but rather groups scattered around Scandinavia, as the word Viking itself simply meant "to raid" in Old Norse. Similarly, while we often think of England as one unified force against invading threats, this wasn't always the case.

With this in mind, there's a good chance the game could have you fight other Vikings who have formed alliances with specific English Kings in return for land or wealth. Indeed, Alfred himself did this with the Viking leader Guthrum, splitting the kingdom of Mercia with him, which could mean you as the player have the opportunity team up with Alfred or another ruler.

Since the production team have referred to the game having difficult choices to make, this could very well be one of them - do you ally yourself with your enemy, and risk losing the confidence of your warriors, or do you risk letting them die in further battles?

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