Tattoos are an integral part of the gameplay experience in Assasin’s Creed Valhalla. They significantly boost Eivor’s intimidation factor and also make for great customization options.
Additionally, they also form a significant chunk of the game’s content as there are many side quests focused on chasing down slips of paper with tattoo designs on them.
However, what fans did not know about AC Valhalla tattoos until today was that they almost didn’t make it into the game due to supposed historical inaccuracies.
In a chat with GamesRadar, Nicolas Rivard, AC Valhalla’s Art Director for Conception at Ubisoft, revealed that tattoos almost didn’t make it into the title as its historians were unable to find authentic examples of tattooed Vikings.
According to Rivard, AC Valhalla being historically accurate was one of the “pillars of the brand,” so historians had to be 100% sure that Vikings were inked.
He also admitted that things got pretty stressful here because if the historians could not find proof of Vikings being tattooed, the consequences would be severe.
I remember I was in one meeting, my head was shaking, because I was like, the tattoo graphics are going to be used across every touchpoint, every aspect of my rendering. If there are no tattoos, I gotta rethink my art direction for this.
Nicolas Rivard
Things would have gotten pretty tricky on social media as well as Ubisoft would have had to explain to outraged gamers why they can’t customize their Vikings the way they want to. This would have been an unmitigated disaster, no doubt.
Thankfully, historians working on the game discovered that Viking tattoos are something of a grey area, with one historian’s account potentially confirming that the warriors did wear ink.
As per Rivard, this confirmation came via a story by historian and religious advisor Ahmad ibn Fadlan, who had traveled across Scandanavian countries extensively.
In his travels, Fadlan came across a burial ritual where Norse folk were putting their clan chief to rest. His account of this ritual says that the people wore markings on their bodies and it is now widely believed by historians that these were tattoos.
Sure enough, once Ubisoft’s historians came across Fadlan’s accounts, they saw it fit to include tattoos in AC Valhalla.
It’s pretty great for Assasin’s Creed fans that Ubisoft is not debating new content for Valhalla like it did for tattoos.
Following Wrath of the Druids, the game will receive its next DLC, The Siege of Paris, on August 12. Players will get to “infiltrate the fortified city of Paris, uncover enemy secrets, and form strategic alliances to safeguard the clan’s future.”
Will Siege of Paris get us access to french themed tattoos? Guess we’ll find out soon enough.
About Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
Developed and Published by Ubisoft, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is the latest instalment in the Assasin’s Creed series launched in November 2020. The action-adventure, role-playing video game is available to play on Playstation 5/4, Xbox One/ Series X/S and PC.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla takes players back to the Vikings’ glory days around the 9th century through the eyes of a Viking invader from Norway named Eivor. By playing as Eivor, gamers must represent the clan and help fellow warriors in the battle against Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms. The game brims with phenomenal main quests along with noteworthy side quests. AC Valhalla will also embrace many new features like dual-wielding of various weapons and armours.
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