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Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is Finally Adding One-Handed Swords

Assassin's Creed Valhalla

As it approaches a year of release, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is finally adding a much-requested feature: One-handed swords. Ubisoft’s historical RPG has never before let you wield a sword in just one hand. Today, a tweet from the official Assassin’s Creed account suggests these weapons will arrive in a new title update, presumably one coming soon.

Posted today, the tweet playfully teases  ‘1H sword’ in the upcoming update. At this point, it’s the most confirmation we’ve had so far that Ubisoft is working on adding it to the game. Earlier this year, Valhalla post-launch producer Jose Araiza confirmed single-handed weapons were on their way. Today’s tweet is the latest we’ve heard since, and suggests they’ll launch in the game in the coming weeks.

For a game so entrenched in melee combat, it’s a huge shock to many that Valhalla still doesn’t have one-handed swords. The England-set RPG has everything from hammers to longswords to axes, but no one-handed blades. We don’t yet know what the one-handed sword will look like, or how you’ll unlock it, though. Presumably, you’ll have to purchase it from the Ubisoft Store. However, they could add a new side mission which rewards you with the sword on completion. This would be more fun for gamers, but until Ubisoft announces more, it’s all speculation.

The news may also come as a surprise to Assassin’s Creed fans, as only a few weeks ago, the franchise’s future was revealed. Moving away from annual releases, Ubisoft will launch Assassin’s Creed Infinity in the next few years. It’ll be an always-on live service game, with constant new quests and updates instead of yearly doses of Assassin’s Creed fun.

All that is still several years away, meaning Valhalla is still at the forefront of Ubisoft’s mind. The announcement of a single-handed sword is proof of this. Equally, it means you can take enemies out with more sleight of hand in the near future.

Written by Andrew Smith