Ubisoft may have hoped to showcase Assassin’s Creed Valhalla gameplay footage at this Sunday’s Ubisoft Forward livestream — but online leakers had a different plan.
Thirty minutes of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla footage has been leaked to YouTube and Streamable. Ubisoft is now scrambling to take down the videos, and many of the links have been replaced with copyright violation notices. Still, those who want to see the gameplay can easily find it.
For those who want to go into Valhalla free of expectations, here’s everything to know about the spoilers, as well as how to avoid them.
What to know about the leaks
The leaks first appeared online on Sunday, July 5, and instantly swept across the Internet, making them difficult to avoid.
While it’s unclear how the footage leaked, the 30-minute clip reveals important plot points and sheds more light on the female version of Eivor that players can choose. Ubisoft previously said that players would be able to play as either the male or female version of Eivor, but has shared few details on how that works in the game.
Despite Ubisoft’s best efforts to take the leaks down, another video surfaced on July 8 that shows a boss battle between Eivor and a character named Cordelia. It also showed the game’s map.
The clips show a variety of glitches and other problems, which is to be expected in a game that’s still months away from launch.
Although Ubisoft hasn’t been shy about its Assassin’s Creed Valhalla plans, the developer hasn’t shared actual gameplay footage yet — even at the Microsoft Xbox Series X event in May, which showed gameplay footage from a variety of other games coming to the console.
How to avoid the leaks
Ubisoft is actively removing the leaked gameplay footage from the Internet, but it’s still difficult to avoid.
The videos are especially rampant on YouTube, where they’re among the first search results for “Assassin’s Creed.” Several Assassin’s Creed-related hashtags on YouTube also feature the videos. And although Ubisoft has done a good job of removing clips from Streamable, it’s best to stay away from any links to the site for the next few days.
On Reddit, you can find a growing list of threads dissecting everything down to the gameplay mechanics. The same goes for Twitter, where hashtags, threads, and tweets share story details and by-the-minute information on what players will find.
To avoid the leaks, stay away from typical gaming haunts, like YouTube, Twitter, Reddit, and elsewhere, avoid any game-related hashtags, and try not to search for leaks.
It’s possible to filter some or most references to Valhalla on Twitter by using the “muted words” feature. To do so, click More > Settings and Privacy > Privacy and Safety > Muted. Click Muted Words to add relevant hashtags, words, or phrases like #valhalla, #valhallafootage, and #valhallaleak.
When should I expect an official look at Assassin’s Creed Valhalla?
Ubisoft hasn’t given any specific dates for fans to watch for new information. But the company has teased Valhalla updates for its Ubisoft Forward event on Sunday, July 12. The event begins at 12 p.m. PT.
When does Assassin’s Creed Valhalla launch?
Although it’s already possible to pre-order Valhalla for both current and next-generation consoles, Ubisoft has only said the game will launch this holiday season.
Updated on July 8 to include details on the latest leak.
