Assassin's Creed Valhalla New Game+ Update Guide: How to Unlock NG+, Mithril, Gear Level 27, Extended Progression, Rune Forge and PS5 Pro PSSR

Assassin's Creed Valhalla finally has New Game+. Ubisoft calls the free update The Most Requested Update, it is live today, Thursday, November 5, 2026, and it is a lot bigger than a single mode toggle. You also get a new resource called Mithril, Divine gear that upgrades to level 27 instead of 13, an Extended Progression Mode that changes how Eivor's Power is calculated, a Stash in Ravensthorpe, a reworked Rune Forge with a Superior tier and 300+ new engravable runes, two new achievements, a Naoe Master Assassin outfit, upgraded PSSR on PS5 Pro and a long list of weapon and Mastery balance changes. This guide walks through all of it with times in Central.

I read the Xbox Wire announcement and the PlayStation Blog post in full, both written by Ubisoft. For the detailed title update 1.8.0 notes and the download sizes I used UpdateCrazy's reproduction of the patch notes and Zigg's report, because Ubisoft's own news page would not load its content for me (it needs JavaScript). Where only those secondary sites back a number, I say so, and there is a section near the end listing everything I could not confirm.

What Is The Most Requested Update?

It is title update 1.8.0 (shown as version 9.00 or 1.080.000 on some trackers), a free update for every platform Valhalla runs on. Ubisoft first announced it on October 29 in its Fall 2026 franchise update, which also said Valhalla has passed 40 million players, a figure repeated by ComicBook and Push Square. Push Square points out the game's final content update shipped in February 2023, so this is the first meaningful addition in more than three years.

The ComicBook write-up also quotes the 2022 Ubisoft blog post where the team said the game's structure left "limited options to make replayability unique and rewarding", which is the reason New Game+ was ruled out back then. Lead Game Designer David Larouche says in the Xbox Wire Q&A that the team wanted New Game+ to be "not simply a do-over", and that the extended progression mode, the extra Divine gear upgrades, the new rune tier and the 300+ rune perks are also available without New Game+. That last point matters, and I come back to it below.

The short feature list

When Did It Go Live?

Both official posts went up on November 5 and say the update is live now: Xbox Wire for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, the PlayStation Blog for PlayStation 5 and PS5 Pro. The Fall 2026 announcement gave the date, November 5, but not a time.

The only time I found is from Zigg, a Brazilian outlet, which says Ubisoft released the update at 11:00 AM Brasília time. Brasília is UTC-3, and Central Time is UTC-6 now that daylight saving ended on November 1, so that converts to 8:00 AM CT. I did not find that time in either Ubisoft post, so treat 8:00 AM CT as a reported time, not an official one. If your console or launcher has not offered the patch yet, check for updates manually and make sure auto-downloads are on.

How To Unlock New Game+

The requirement in the official Xbox Wire post is short: New Game+ "can be accessed after completing the Holy Day Quest." The title update notes, as reproduced by UpdateCrazy and Zigg, add useful context:

• Holy Day is the final quest of the Hamtunscire region.
• It comes before the game's true ending, so you do not need to finish the entire story first.
• Zigg's reading of the notes is that Ubisoft opened the mode up a bit early because the campaign is so long.

That makes the real gate a point in the main story, not the credits. If you are mid-campaign and have already cleared Hamtunscire's Holy Day, you should be able to restart. If you have not, the mode is not available to you yet. I could not find any official wording on what exactly the menu looks like or whether the game asks you to pick between your existing save and a fresh NG+ save, so I will not guess at the flow. Back up your save before your first NG+ run if your platform lets you.

What carries over

Ubisoft's October 29 announcement says New Game+ lets you carry over "much of your progression, with dedicated NG+ scaling." The Xbox Wire Q&A has Larouche saying players can now go through the adventure again "with their endgame character." Neither source gives a full carry-over list. Specifically, I could not confirm in a primary source what happens to:

• Your skill tree points and Mastery levels
• Settlement buildings and their upgrades
• Collected gear versus gear you have to find again
• Quest, map and collectible progress, including Wealth, Mysteries and Artifacts
• DLC regions you have already cleared

Until Ubisoft or the community documents this properly, assume the broad statement only: much of your progression stays with Eivor, and the specifics are unconfirmed.

How difficulty scales

Ubisoft says that with each iteration of New Game+, the game scales in difficulty "to keep your experience challenging and rewarding." The patch notes copy says each additional playthrough is harder than the last. There is no published number: no enemy level offset, no damage multiplier, no cap on how many cycles you can run. Anyone quoting exact percentages today is guessing.

Mithril: What It Is And How You Get It

Mithril is the new upgrade resource, and it is the center of the NG+ loop. Xbox Wire describes it as a resource used to upgrade Divine gear, and the patch notes add that it also strengthens runes at the top tier. Here is every confirmed source:

The first two sources only apply while you are in New Game+. That is a clever design choice: in a normal playthrough you hoard gear and Books of Knowledge, and in NG+ the duplicates you pick up stop being dead weight. The shops (Niflheim, Mastery and River Raid) are listed without a price or a stock limit in anything I read, so I cannot tell you how many Mithril you can buy per week or per season. That is the single most important number for planning your upgrades, and it is unconfirmed.

Does Mithril exist outside New Game+?

The official Xbox Wire list phrases the gear and book drops as "while in New Game+", but the shops are not tied to NG+ in the text, and Larouche says the Divine gear upgrades and new rune tier are available without New Game+. The reasonable reading is that you can buy Mithril from the shops and spend it on a normal save too. I could not confirm that with a primary source, so check your shop menus before spending anything.

Divine Gear, Level 27 And Platinum

Before this update, Valhalla's gear upgrade ladder topped out at level 13. Now the maximum level for each piece of gear is 27, up from 13. Each of those new upgrade steps costs Mithril, according to the patch notes copy.

Three related changes sit alongside it:

• Platinum in NG+. Looting Carbon, Nickel and Tungsten in a Wealth Chest gives Platinum instead while you are in New Game+.
• No DLC needed. Platinum used to be tied to the Dawn of Ragnarok expansion. The patch notes say Divine quality upgrades are now accessible without owning that DLC, and Zigg confirms the same reading: you can now take gear to Divine quality without it.
• Divine quality for all items. The Fall 2026 announcement says Divine Gear quality is added for all items, not just a small list of special pieces.

If you skipped Dawn of Ragnarok because of the price or the dragon fights, this is the first time the top of the gear ladder opens up for you. That is a big deal for builds that never reached the highest tiers.

Fully upgrading a Divine item

One of the two new achievements, Ivaldi's Heir, is for fully upgrading a piece of Divine gear. Combined with the level 27 cap, that tells you the intended long term goal: take one item all the way and then decide where the rest of your Mithril goes. The total Mithril cost to reach level 27 on one piece is not published in anything I found.

Extended Progression Mode And The New Power Calculation

Extended Progression Mode is optional. Xbox Wire says that when active, gear upgrades, runes and masteries contribute to your overall power level. The PlayStation Blog lists it as an "Enhanced Progression Mode option" together with a "New Power calculation," which is the same feature under a slightly different label.

The patch notes copy gives actual numbers:

• While the mode is active, gear upgrades and runes each increase Power by 1 point.
• Mastery levels increase Power after every 5 skill points.

I could not confirm in a primary source whether the mode can be toggled on and off mid-run, or whether it changes how enemy scaling reads your Power. Playnews noted before launch that Ubisoft had not said whether the Power change applies outside New Game+. Larouche's quote suggests it does, since he says the extended progression mode is among the features available without NG+, but the in-game options screen is the thing to check.

Why this is worth turning on: the old Power number mostly came from your skill tree and gear level. With this mode, a rune slotted in or a gear level gained moves the number, so the extra grind from the 27 level cap actually shows up in how strong the game says you are. If you hated that Power stopped moving late in the game, this is aimed at you.

The Stash In Ravensthorpe

A Stash now exists in Ravensthorpe. Per Xbox Wire, it lets you store any piece of gear and any rune from your inventory. The patch notes copy says you interact with it in the settlement to put things away. If your inventory has been a mess of duplicate armor and half-used runes, this is the biggest quality of life change in the patch.

Two practical notes:

• The Stash is not described as shared between saves, so I would not plan on moving items from an old save to an NG+ save through it. Unconfirmed.
• No storage cap is mentioned in the sources I read. Unconfirmed.

Rune Forge Update

The Rune Forge got a new upgrade tab and a lot more things to engrave. Here is what the patch notes copy and Xbox Wire say:

The big idea from Larouche is that nearly every perk that was ever attached to an item is now available as a rune: "regardless of if it was released in the extended experience, from an expansion, or even from the Store." He also says he is sure players will find overpowered combinations. That should keep build theorycrafting busy for weeks.

The 450 Silver conversion cost and the "owning a weapon or full armor set unlocks it for engraving" rule come from the patch notes copy and Zigg's report. Ubisoft's two official blog posts do not spell either out.

A suggested way to spend Silver

This is my take, not an official recommendation: since upgrading Lesser to Normal and Normal to Greater costs Silver, and only the final step to Superior needs Mithril, you can improve your whole rune collection early without touching your Mithril stock. Save the Mithril for gear levels and for the runes that go into your main build. Spreading Silver across your runes first keeps the scarcer resource for where it matters.

Skill And Mastery Balance Changes

Beyond the headline features, title update 1.8.0 has a big balance pass. These are from the UpdateCrazy reproduction of the patch notes, so treat exact decimals as secondary sourced. I did not find these in the Xbox Wire or PlayStation Blog posts.

Skill bonus per point corrections

Ubisoft frames these as corrections to per-point values. Two Dawn of Ragnarok Wolf tree nodes also changed: the Range Critical Damage nodes south of Combat Dive and east of Cunning Shot became Light Attack Damage.

Mastery changes

The three animal Masteries were reshuffled:

• Raven Mastery: now grants 0.2 Assassination Damage and 0.2 Evasion per level, plus 0.1 Health. It no longer increases Stealth Damage or Ability Damage.
• Bear Mastery: now grants 0.2 Melee Damage, 0.2 Melee Resistance and 0.1 Health per level. It no longer increases Ability Damage.
• Wolf Mastery: now grants 0.2 Ranged Damage, 0.2 Ranged Resistance and 0.1 Health per level. It no longer increases Stealth Damage or Ability Damage.

If you built heavily around Ability Damage from Masteries, expect that part of your build to drop.

Weapon damage multipliers

The notes list changes to regular attack, alternate attack and finisher multipliers, including dual-wielding. Here is a selection of the clearest ones. Values are multipliers on base damage as listed in the reproduced notes.

I left out the Scythe, Sickle and Atgeir lines from this table. The reproduced text for those weapons mixes damage multipliers, health multipliers and animation speed thresholds in a way I could not read cleanly, so check the official notes before you rework a build around them. The notes also include animation speed scaling for several weapons by Speed stat, for example the Shortsword reaching 1x animation speed at a Speed stat of 58.8.

New Achievements, Trophies And The Naoe Outfit

Two new achievements arrive with the update, per the PlayStation Blog, and the Fall 2026 announcement mentions trophies on PlayStation. The names and conditions come from the patch notes copy:

I could not confirm Trophy names or rarity on PlayStation, or Gamerscore values on Xbox. Note that Circle of Renewal needs a completed NG+ run, so it is a time commitment given how long the campaign is.

The Master Assassin outfit is inspired by Naoe's look in Assassin's Creed Shadows. Ubisoft's announcement describes it as a Master Assassin outfit and ComicBook describes it as a cloak. I did not find how you unlock it, whether it is tied to New Game+, or if it has any stats. Unconfirmed.

PS5 Pro: Upgraded PSSR

The PlayStation Blog post says the new PSSR update is exclusive to PS5 Pro. Priscilla Nguyen, Engineering Studio Manager, explains in the Q&A:

• The upgraded PSSR is more efficient than the original and easier to implement in the game's source code.
• It is described as slightly more efficient than the game's current Temporal Upscaler and "much crisper and more visually stable."
• It was already integrated in Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced and Assassin's Creed Shadows, which is why Ubisoft brought it to Valhalla.
• The team did not overhaul content or assets. They used it in the engine and rendering pipeline to improve 4K image quality and deliver the Quality mode at 60 FPS on PS5 Pro.

That last point is the headline for Pro owners. I did not find a performance mode resolution target, frame time data or a Digital Foundry style comparison, so whether the upgrade holds a locked 60 in busy areas is unverified. Players who have the standard PS5 and the Series consoles are not described as receiving any visual upgrade in the sources I read.

Animus Hub Synchronization Update

The PlayStation Blog lists an "Animus Hub synchronization update" in its feature bullets, and that is all it says. No official source I found explains what changed. I will not guess at what it changes. Treat it as unconfirmed until Ubisoft explains it.

Platforms And Download Sizes

The sizes below come from the title update notes as reproduced by UpdateCrazy and Zigg, which both list the same figures.

A few notes:

• The PS5 download is by far the smallest at 5.26 GB. The Series X|S patch is the largest at 15.02 GB. The reason is not given.
• On PC, Steam and Ubisoft Connect show very different sizes (7.8 GB versus 12.27 GB). I could not find an explanation. Zigg notes the game updates through either launcher.
• The Xbox Wire post covers Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, and the PlayStation Blog covers PS5 and PS5 Pro. I did not find a primary source that names PS4 specifically, but the size table lists it, so it appears to be included.
• I did not find any PC specific feature notes, such as DLSS or ultrawide changes. A comment on Playground.ru asked about DLSS, and nothing official says it was added.

How I Would Approach Your First NG+ Run

None of this is official advice, it is how I would use the confirmed pieces.

• Finish Holy Day, then check your Stash and runes first. Clear your inventory into the Stash so you can see what you own.
• Turn on Extended Progression Mode early if you like the Power number to move. Every gear level and rune now counts for a point, and every 5 Mastery skill points count too.
• Pick one Divine item to take to level 27 first. The Ivaldi's Heir achievement rewards exactly that, and a single maxed weapon beats ten half upgraded ones.
• Do not throw away duplicate gear or Books of Knowledge in NG+. Picking up an item you already own or reading a Book of Knowledge you already have gives Mithril.
• Use Silver on the rune tabs first. Silver upgrades cover Lesser to Greater, and Mithril is needed for Superior.
• Check the shops each time you pass them. Niflheim, Mastery and River Raid shops sell Mithril. Stock and prices are unconfirmed, so look before you commit.
• Re-read your skill and Mastery builds. Raven, Bear and Wolf Masteries lost Ability Damage and Stealth Damage in places, so a build tuned before the patch may feel different.

Known Issues And What Is Still Unconfirmed

I did not find an official known issues list for 1.8.0 in any primary source. Here is everything I could not verify:

• Official Ubisoft patch notes page. I could not load Ubisoft's news page in my fetch tool. The detailed numbers (balance changes, Power values, 450 Silver, achievement names, Platinum notes and sizes) are from UpdateCrazy and Zigg's reproduction and should be compared against Ubisoft's own page.
• Release time. 8:00 AM CT is derived from Zigg's report of 11 AM Brasília time. Not stated in the Ubisoft posts I read.
• NG+ carry-over list. Which items, skills, buildings and map progress carry over.
• Difficulty scaling numbers per iteration and any maximum number of NG+ cycles.
• Mithril shop prices and stock limits, and total Mithril needed for level 27.
• Whether Extended Progression Mode is switchable after you start.
• How the Naoe Master Assassin outfit is unlocked.
• Animus Hub synchronization changes.
• PS5 Pro performance numbers beyond Ubisoft's statement of 4K Quality mode at 60 FPS.
• PC specifics beyond the download sizes.
• Bugs. Nothing official yet. Early player reports are not something I have verified, so if you run into trouble, report it through Ubisoft support.

It is also worth saying that Ubisoft said on October 29 that feedback on this update will guide discussions about bringing similar updates to other games in the series (via Playnews), and that Black Flag Resynced got its own New Game+ and Nightmare mode in a separate update. If you want the next one, the sales and feedback on this patch will likely matter.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does the Assassin's Creed Valhalla New Game+ update release?

It is live on Thursday, November 5, 2026, on all platforms, as a free update. Ubisoft's Xbox Wire and PlayStation Blog posts both say it is live today. One Brazilian outlet reports an 11 AM Brasília release, which is 8:00 AM Central, but I did not find that time in Ubisoft's own posts.

How do you unlock New Game+ in Assassin's Creed Valhalla?

You need to complete the Holy Day Quest. According to the patch notes as reproduced by secondary sites, Holy Day is the final quest of the Hamtunscire region, and it comes before the game's true ending, so you can start New Game+ before finishing the full story.

Is the Valhalla New Game+ update free?

Yes. Ubisoft describes The Most Requested Update as a free update. Divine quality gear upgrades also no longer require the Dawn of Ragnarok DLC according to the patch notes copy, and Platinum, which used to be tied to that DLC, can be found from Wealth Chests in New Game+.

What is Mithril in Assassin's Creed Valhalla?

Mithril is a new resource used to upgrade Divine gear, and the Superior rune upgrade also costs Mithril. In New Game+ you receive it when you get a piece of gear or interact with a Book of Knowledge you already own. It can also be found in the Niflheim, Mastery and River Raid shops.

What is the new max gear level in Valhalla?

The maximum level for each piece of gear is now 27, up from 13. The additional levels use Mithril, and the new Ivaldi's Heir achievement is for fully upgrading a Divine item.

Does New Game+ in Valhalla get harder each time?

Yes. Ubisoft says the game scales in difficulty with each iteration of New Game+ to keep it challenging. The exact scaling numbers and any limit on the number of cycles have not been published.

What does Extended Progression Mode do?

It is an optional mode where gear upgrades, runes and masteries all contribute to Eivor's overall Power. According to the patch notes copy, gear upgrades and runes add 1 Power each and Mastery adds Power for every 5 skill points. Larouche says the extended progression mode is available without New Game+ as well.

What does the Stash do and where is it?

The Stash is in Ravensthorpe. It lets you store any piece of gear and any rune from your inventory so you can clear space without selling things you might want later.

What is the Superior rune tier?

It is a new top rune tier. In the updated Rune Forge, Silver upgrades Lesser to Normal and Normal to Greater, and Greater runes can then be upgraded to Superior. According to the patch notes copy, the Superior step costs Mithril.

How many new runes were added?

Ubisoft says over 300 engravable runes were added. Larouche says nearly every perk that existed on an item, including ones from expansions and the in-game Store, is now available as a rune you can engrave in the Rune Forge.

How big is the Valhalla 1.8.0 update?

According to the sizes reproduced from the patch notes, it is 5.26 GB on PS5, 7.8 GB on Steam, 12.27 GB on Ubisoft Connect, 13.42 GB on PS4, 13.8 GB on Xbox One and 15.02 GB on Xbox Series X|S. Check your platform store for the number you actually see.

Does Valhalla New Game+ support PS5 Pro?

Yes, there is a PS5 Pro specific change. The update integrates upgraded PSSR, which Ubisoft says delivers sharper 4K image quality and Quality mode at 60 FPS on PS5 Pro. It is described as exclusive to PS5 Pro owners.

Are there new achievements or trophies?

Two new achievements are listed by Ubisoft. According to the patch notes copy they are Ivaldi's Heir for fully upgrading a piece of Divine gear and Circle of Renewal for completing a New Game+ playthrough. The Fall 2026 announcement also mentions trophies for PlayStation, but I did not find trophy names.

How do I get the Naoe Master Assassin outfit?

Ubisoft confirms a Master Assassin outfit inspired by Naoe from Assassin's Creed Shadows is part of the update, but I did not find how it is unlocked. Check in game, since Ubisoft has not documented the requirement in the sources I read.

Do I need Dawn of Ragnarok to use Platinum or Divine gear?

No, according to the patch notes copy and Zigg's report. Platinum used to be exclusive to Dawn of Ragnarok, and Divine quality upgrades can now be reached without owning the expansion.

Will my old save work with the update?

The update applies to your existing install and you can use New Game+ after completing Holy Day, so an existing save that is past that point should qualify. I did not find a statement about save compatibility issues, so back up your save if your platform allows.

Sources

• Xbox Wire: Assassin's Creed Valhalla, The Most Requested Update
• PlayStation Blog: Assassin's Creed Valhalla new update brings New Game+, upgraded PSSR support for PS5 Pro
• UpdateCrazy: AC Valhalla Update 1.8.0 patch notes reproduction
• Zigg: Valhalla Novo Jogo+ report (Portuguese)
• ComicBook: Valhalla getting its most requested feature
• Push Square: Valhalla New Game+ patch announcement
• Playnews: New Game+, Mithril and Divine Gear arrive November 5