Jeremy Bullock, the actor who first wore the armor of mysterious bounty hunter Boba Fett, has passed away at the age of 75. Daniel Logan, the young actor who played Boba as a child in Attack of the Clones confirmed Bulloch’s passing and sent out a message of condolence and gratitude.
“It brings me to tear to announce Jeremy Bulloch has [passed] away,” his Instagram posts reads. “I’ll never forget all you’ve taught me! I’ll love you forever!! Conventions won’t be the same without you. May the Force be with you always.”
Additionally, Bulloch’s website posted its first update in over two years, announcing the actor’s passing. “Jeremy died peacefully on 17th December 2020 following health complications, including several years living with Parkinson’s disease. He spent his final weeks in the wonderful care of staff at St George’s Hospital in Tooting, close to the house where he and his wife Maureen had lived together for more than fifty years. Maureen and two of his sons, Jamie and Robbie, were with him during his final days.”
The official Boba Fett Fan Club also posted a tribute to the actor. “Jeremy portrayed Boba Fett in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, along with other actors and stuntmen,” it said. “But he set the tone and the stance, inspired by Clint Eastwood’s A Fistful of Dollars less-is-more approach.”
Boba Fett was Star Wars’ original man of mystery saying very little and eventually becoming an imposing figure in pop culture. Boba was first introduced in an animated portion of the Star Wars Holiday Special–and even before that a county fair parade.
Recently on Disney+’s The Mandalorian, Boba made his official return to the Star Wars universe as part of Din’s crew and officially canonized that he was not eaten in the sarlacc pit as theorized by fans for decades.
It’s a fun-filled yet informative week for Wrestle Buddies, GameSpot’s professional wrestling podcast. Both Chris E. Hayner and Mat Elfring are doing deep dives into two incredibly bizarre moments in wrestling history: one from the early days of Impact Wrestling, when it was known as TNA, and the other from WWE. If you blinked, you might have missed them, but we’re here to remind you.
First up, the guys are opening back up the Unsolved Wrestling Mysteries bag to explore who was really behind the mask of the Imposter Kane. We’re not talking about the time Undertaker was Kane though. This was a storyline that only lasted a few weeks that saw a masked Kane take on an unmasked Kane during a very short Vengeance PPV match. Many say it was actually Luke Gallows wearing Kane’s old attire, but we know the truth, and it somehow involves The New Day.
Later, Chris is diving back in to 2002 TNA stable that was a lot like NWO, but didn’t even last six months: Sports Entertainment Xtreme. Yes, that spells out SEX. Headed by Vince Russo, the stable wanted to takeover the promotion but make it sexy. And yes, we read all of the members names in this group as sexy as possible. Did Russo’s plan work? Well, no, but we’re still going to try and figure out why it happened.
All that, plus we answer your questions. New episodes of Wrestle Buddies are released every Thursday on the podcast platform or app of your choice, including Spotify, Stitcher, and Apple Podcasts. You can also keep up to date with the podcast by following it on Twitter.
Well, kind of. With “Terra Firma, Part 2,” Michelle Yeoh exits Star Trek: Discovery, a series which she’s been a part of since the pilot episode back in 2017. Of course, we also know that she’s heading to her own show, which will reportedly be a Section 31 spinoff, so this isn’t the end for the character or the actress’ involvement in Trek. But this episode is seemingly the conclusion of her story with the Discovery crew, and with Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) specifically.
After last week’s trippy trip back to the Mirror Universe from where she originated, this second-parter picks right back up in that realm where mustache-twirling is a way of life. The thing is, having uncovered the conspiracy her daughter (Mirror) Michael is leading against her, Georgiou decides to actually try to rehabilitate her charge rather than just kill her.
So the question remains, can a Mirror Universe resident really be redeemed? It seems by the end of “Terra Firma” that we have our answer: Maybe, sometimes. Because while Mirror Michael turns out to be rotten to the core, Georgiou, through her experiences in the Prime Universe, has turned a corner. Indeed, the Georgiou who says goodbye forever to Prime Michael is so far removed from the character we’ve known that it’s almost difficult to accept that it’s the same person. Her evolution prior to these two episodes wasn’t really explored as much as it could’ve been, and so the big moment when she completes this journey feels a bit off.
As for Mirror Michael, this is someone who was obviously traumatized as a child, and then rescued — if you can call it that — and raised by a sociopath. That’s not the sort of thing a few weeks of tough love will just cure you of. If Georgiou had converted her daughter to her new way of thinking, it probably would’ve been a bridge too far in terms of believability. Mirror Universe gonna Mirror Universe, after all.
The Guardian of Forever!
Which brings us to the specifics of how Georgiou is cured of her out-of-time/out-of-space malady. It turns out “Carl,” the cigar-chomping anachronism who sent Georgiou on her second-chance journey to the MU is actually one of the most iconic of all Star Trek mechanisms — the Guardian of Forever from the classic episode “The City on the Edge of Forever.” The Guardian was a strange, alien construct that allowed its users to travel through time, and here it sent Georgiou to a different universe in addition to a different time. All of which was a test ultimately to see if she was worthy of redemption or not herself, a second chance at life in the past.
As exciting and “whoaaaa” a moment the reveal of Carl’s true nature is — even the original Guardian voice is used for a second — it’s ultimately a fairly empty one. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen this thing in live-action, but here it could’ve just been any old time-travel device that was put to use ultimately. Yes, the fact that Carl/Guardian was testing Georgiou is interesting, and shows that it has changed since the time Kirk encountered it, but it feels more like an afterthought in the context of the episode.
In the end, the goodbye between Georgiou and Michael is heartfelt and works, and the actresses are terrific, but it leaves one wishing there had been more development of Georgiou’s journey towards good prior to this point. Maybe that story will continue in the Section 31 spin-off.
Meanwhile, back on the ship, Book is proving his usefulness with all his knowledge of that crazy Emerald Chain tech, and Saru is facing a Kelpien dilemma next week as the crew chases down the missing ship that is somehow tied to The Burn.
The opening credits sequence is a negative reflection of its normal self!
Airiam returns, and in her human form here. As does Hannah Cheesman, who played the character in Season 2.
Lorca tease! So much Lorca teasing, and we got nothing in the end. Crueler than an agonizer booth.
“The City on the Edge of Forever,” of course, is the TOS episode where Kirk and Spock wind up in the past and Kirk has to let his new girlfriend Edith Keeler (Joan Collins) die in order to ensure the timeline will be persevered and the Federation will come into existence.
With the launch of PS5 and Xbox Series X now behind us, we’re turning our attention toward what we’ll be playing on our shiny new hardware — as well as last-gen consoles, Switch, and PC — in the months ahead. From flagship console exclusives like God of War: Ragnarok and Halo Infinite to third-party blockbusters like Far Cry 6 and Hogwarts Legacy, there’s a lot to look forward to in 2021.
So as 2020 comes to an end, we’re highlighting the 42 biggest games expected to be released in the new year. Continue scrolling for more on the year’s biggest games, or click through the gallery below for our running list of all 32 games with solid 2021 release dates (not just release windows).
Agent 47 returns in January for the conclusion of IO Interactive’s World of Assassination Trilogy. The series’ next entry will “act as a platform for the entire trilogy,” according to IO, meaning all locations from its two previous Hitman games will be playable in Hitman 3.
The Medium
The Medium is a next-gen horror game with a unique hook: it renders two versions of the game world simultaneously, allowing players to switch seamlessly between the “real world” and the “spirit world” at any time. Legendary composer Akira Yamaoka (Silent Hill) is working on the soundtrack.
Outriders
Outriders is a one- to three-player, drop-in-drop-out co-op game from People Can Fly (Bulletstorm, Gears of War: Judgment). It’s part action-RPG, part looter-shooter, as noted in IGN’s hands-on preview, which called it “Mass Effect meets Diablo.”
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury
Nintendo’s excellent Wii U platformer comes to Switch in February with an all-new expansion called Bowser’s Fury. It features 4-player co-op (both online and local) and will be released alongside new Cat Mario and Cat Peach amiibo.
Riders Republic is an open-world extreme sports game from Ubisoft Annecy, the studio behind Steep. It features five playable sports — skiing, snowboarding, downhill biking, wingsuiting, and rocket wingsuiting — in an open-world comprising seven national parks in the western U.S.
Bravely Default 2
The Bravely franchise comes to Switch for the first time with Bravely Default 2. Despite what its title suggests, this is the third entry in Square Enix’s RPG franchise, following Bravely Default and Bravely Second: End Layer on 3DS.
Destruction AllStars
Destruction AllStars combines vehicular and on-foot combat, and it’s coming exclusively to PS5 in February. It will be released as one of the month’s free PlayStation Plus games.
Returnal
Developer Housemarque, known for excellent twin-stick shooters like Resogun, is stepping into a new genre with Returnal. Described as a third-person roguelike shooter, Returnal is set on a procedurally generated alien world. The PS5 exclusive will take advantage of the system’s SSD and 3D audio, as well as the DualSense controller’s adaptive triggers and haptic feedback.
It Takes Two is the next co-op adventure from Hazelight, the studio behind A Way Out and Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons. With It Takes Two, the studio aims to build on its established formula of blending co-op gameplay with engaging storytelling. It will “blow your f**king mind away,” said game director Josef Fares.
Monster Hunter Rise
Capcom’s next Monster Hunter is a Nintendo Switch exclusive with a focus on verticality. Rise is the first of two Monster Hunter games being released next year for Switch; the second, Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin, is expected in mid-2021. The two games will feature some level of “compatibility,” though Capcom has yet to detail exactly what that means.
Roller Champions
Roller Champions is a free-to-play, roller-derby-inspired sports game. It features 3v3 competitive multiplayer, customizable characters, and at least three different arenas, according to Ubisoft.
Ruined King: A League of Legends Story
Developed by Airship Syndicate (Darksiders Genesis), Ruined King is the first-ever single-player League of Legends game. The turn-based RPG allows you to control a party of League heroes, such as Miss Fortune, Illaoi, Braum, Yasuo, Ahri, and Pyke.
Deathloop
Deathloop is a stylish first-person action game from Arkane Studios, the makers of Dishonored and Prey. It’s a tale of two assassins doing eternal battle on the “retro-future, ‘60s-inspired” island of Blackreef, as one kills to break the island’s time loop and the other kills to preserve it. Deathloop is a timed console exclusive on PS5 that will take advantage of the DualSense controller’s unique features.
Far Cry 6
The next installment in Ubisoft’s open-world franchise takes players to the totalitarian island nation of Yara amidst a revolution. Yara is ruled by dictator Anton Castillo, played by Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad, The Mandalorian). Far Cry 6 will run at 4K/60fps on PS5 and Xbox Series X.
Back 4 Blood is the next FPS from the creators of Left 4 Dead. After a detour into asymmetrical multiplayer with Evolve, Turtle Rock is returning to its co-op roots with a new (yet very familiar) take on four-player zombie-killing action. It’s the unofficial Left 4 Dead sequel fans have waited over a decade for, and it’ll be available next June.
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
The Skywalker Saga isn’t a simple remake of previous LEGO Star Wars games; it’s an entirely new retelling of all nine Star Wars movies. As noted in our Skywalker Saga preview, “all nine main Star Wars movies are equally represented with brand new levels and objectives along with the freedom to play in the order you choose.”
Mass Effect Legendary Edition
The long-rumored remastered Mass Effect trilogy was confirmed on N7 Day 2020. The Legendary Edition includes all single-player content and DLC from Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, and Mass Effect 3. The remasters will run at 4K on compatible platforms, with “forward compatibility and targeted enhancements on Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5.”
New World
New World was one of the first three games announced by Amazon back in 2016 — the other two, Breakaway and Crucible, have since been canceled or shut down. This promising MMO, however, has “come a long way,” according to our latest New World preview, and will finally be released in Spring 2021.
Gran Turismo 7
Sony’s long-running racing sim will make its debut on PS5 in the first half of 2021. Gran Turismo 7 was officially announced during the PS5 reveal event, and it’s the series’ first new entry since Gran Turismo Sport in 2017.
Rfit Apart was a next-gen showpiece for Sony during its PS5 reveal event. Insomniac’s next Ratchet & Clank not only looked great, it showed the potential of PS5’s ultra-fast SSD, sending Ratchet through rifts into entirely new game worlds almost instantly.
Battlefield [2021]
Battlefield is set to return in late 2021 with the series’ first new entry since Battlefield 5 in 2018. Developer DICE will “deliver a true next-gen vision for the franchise,” according to EA, “with never before seen scale.” Further details will be revealed next spring.
Halo Infinite
The next chapter in Microsoft’s Master Chief saga was intended to launch alongside Xbox Series X|S in November 2020. However, the project was delayed to 2021 due to “development challenges, including the ongoing COVID-related impacts.” When it does launch next fall, Halo Infinite’s free-to-play multiplayer will support 120fps on Xbox Series X.
Our next adventure to Middle-earth is an all-new Lord of the Rings story starring Gollum. It will explore a previously untold LotR narrative while remaining faithful to J.R.R. Tolkein’s source material, according to developer Daedalic. Gameplay-wise, Gollum is “mostly a non-combat game,” with Prince of Persia-like stealth.
GTA V [Next-Gen]
Grand Theft Auto V will be released on its third set of consoles in 2021. The PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions will “take full advantage of the latest hardware,” according to Rockstar, with technical, visual, and performance upgrades. A standalone version of GTA Online will also be released in the second half of the year, and it will be free for PS5 players during its first three months.
Horizon Forbidden West
Guerrilla Games’ sequel to 2017’s excellent Horizon Zero Dawn is coming to PS5 and PS4 in the back half of 2021. Forbidden West sees Aloy journey across the western United States, from Utah to San Francisco. Despite also coming to PS4, the next-gen version of Forbidden West is being “built from the ground up to take advantage of the PS5 feature set,” according to Sony.
Chorus is a story-driven space shooter about an ex-cultist named Nara and her sentient starfighter, Forsaken. The story follows Nara on her journey to take down the “dark cult” that created her.
Crossfire X
The popular PC shooter comes to consoles for the first time in 2021 as Crossfire X. Crossfire developer Smilegate is handling the multiplayer component, while the single-player story is being developed by Remedy (Control, Alan Wake).
Evil Dead: The Game
Based on the iconic horror franchise, Evil Dead: The Game is a third-person action game with co-op and PvP modes. Evil Dead will feature characters and locales from the franchise’s movie and TV history, including the infamous cabin in the woods. Most notably, however, is the return Bruce Campbell, who reprises his iconic role as Ash Williams.
GhostWire: Tokyo
The next game from horror legend Shinji Mikami and Tango Gameworks is set in a “realistic but original version of Tokyo” where most people have vanished. Unlike the studio’s previous work on The Evil Within, GhostWire: Tokyo isn’t strictly a horror game; it’s an action-adventure with “elements of survival.” It’s launching as a timed console exclusive on PS5.
God of War: Ragnarok
God of War: Ragnarok is perhaps the most anticipated game of 2021. Santa Monica Studio has yet to reveal any details beyond its 2021 release window, though Ragnarok is expected to continue the journey of Kratos and Atreus. God of War’s PS4 reboot was awarded IGN’s 2018’s Game of the Year Award.
Following years of teases from developer WB Games Montreal, Gotham Knights was officially announced at 2020’s DC FanDome event. The third-person brawler is set in a universe where Batman is dead and the duty of protecting Gotham has fallen to Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl, and Red Hood — all of whom are playable characters in Gotham Knights. It features online co-op for two players.
Hogwarts Legacy
Hogwarts Legacy is the realization of a long-held dream for many Harry Potter fans, putting you at the center of a wizarding world adventure. You’ll create your own character, go through the Sorting Ceremony, and journey into developer Avalanche Software’s version of 1800s Hogwarts.
No More Heroes 3
Travis Touchdown was originally set to return in 2020, but like several other games this year, No More Heroes 3 was delayed due to COVID 19-related development issues. The Switch exclusive was most recently featured in Nintendo’s October Direct Mini.
Open Roads
Open Roads is the next narrative adventure from Gone Home and Tacoma developer Fullbright. Keri Russell (The Americans) and Kaitlyn Dever (Booksmart) lend their voices to Opal and Tess, a mother-daughter duo on a road trip “to discover what has been left behind in evocative places forgotten to time.”
Psychonauts 2
Raz and the Psychonauts return in 2021, 16 years after the release of the original cult classic. Developer Double Fine was acquired by Microsoft in the middle of development, which allowed the studio to reimplement features previously cut for budgetary reasons, including boss fights. Psychonauts 2 will be released day and date on Xbox Game Pass and feature optimizations for Xbox Series X|S.
Resident Evil Village
The eighth mainline Resident Evil continues the story of Ethan and Mia Winters that began in RE7: Biohazard. Like RE7, Village will be played from a first-person perspective. It’s currently only planned for next-gen consoles and PC, though it may come to PS4 and Xbox One as well.
The next Shadow Warrior adventure sees protagonist Lo Wang and sidekick Orochi Zilla embark on a quest to “recapture an ancient dragon they unwillingly unleashed from its eternal prison.” As noted in Shadow Warrior 3 preview, it plays like a satisfying blend of Doom and Duke Nukem (plus a samurai sword).
The cult-classic PC shooter returns in 2021 with a “unique blend of FPS, immersive sim and horror,” according to developer GSC Game World. The sequel aims to create “one of the biggest seamless open-worlds to date,” and will be released day and date on Xbox Game Pass.
The long wait for Bloodlines 2, the sequel to another cult classic of the ‘00s, was made even longer in 2020 following delays and the loss of several senior developers. However, it appears 2021 is the year we’ll finally be able to dive into the vampiric faction wars of Hardsuit Labs’ bloody version of Seattle.
Warharmmer 40,000: Darktide
Fatshark, the studio behind the Warhammer: Vermintide games, returns to the franchise for Warhammer 40,000: Darktide, a four-player co-op shooter set in the hive city of Tertium.
Rainbow Six Quarantine
Rainbow Six Quarantine is a three-player, tactical co-op game that pits your squad against a deadly parasite. Quarantine is “built on the foundation” of Rainbow Siege Siege, according to Ubisoft, and is currently scheduled for release between April 2021 and March 2022. Hopefully an exact date (and perhaps a title change) will be announced in the near future.
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What game are you most excited to play in 2021? Vote in the poll below or let us know in the comments!
In a blog post detailing the announcement, Microsoft specified that Among Us is currently only available on PC through Xbox Game Pass or as a standalone $5 purchase. An exact release date for when Among Us will be available on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S is unknown, but developer Innersloth’s social deduction game will hit Xbox consoles sometime next year.
Among Us, which originally launched in 2018 but catapulted to success this year on the back of popular streamers, is also now available on Nintendo Switch. The game features cross-play between mobile devices (Android and iOS), PC, Switch, and now Xbox Game Pass for PC.
During The Game Awards, where Among Us won Best Mobile Game and more, Innersloth unveiled a new airship map. It’s free, drops in 2021, and gives players additional features and options. This includes the choice of which room to start in, climbable ladders, and more tasks.
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Call of Duty: Warzone now includes 30 new weapons from Black Ops Cold War and players are having trouble adapting to them. They’ve found that the new weapons are at a disadvantage compared to ones that have been in Warzone since March.
“These guns cannot and will not be able to compete with the current Modern Warfare guns,” said Redditor ruckh in a thread about the new update. “It boils down to the attachments–specifically the barrel, the suppressors, and the grips.”
Black Ops Cold War weapons were brought to Warzone with all of their original attachments and stat types–which are different to the ones used in Modern Warfare and Warzone. The attachments they do have can’t compete with ones that were available before the update.
The MAC-10 is one of the best new weapons in Warzone.
“I am shocked this is how it played out,” said another player. “I thought Cold War guns were going be deliberately better, including at least one outright broken gun, to try to spur Cold War purchases.”
Players have theorized that Black Ops Cold War weapons would be stronger than current Warzone weapons in order to encourage players to purchase the standalone game. Instead they’ve found that the recoil and lack of certain attachments for the new guns gives them a big disadvantage when compared to guns like the Kilo. Most of the ground loot in Warzone is made up of Black Ops Cold War weapons–but securing a loadout with a gun from Modern Warfare is still the preferred route to winning a gunfight.
Some of the new weapons, like the MAC-10 SMG, are incredibly powerful at close range, but most gun fights in Warzone happen at medium-to-long-range. The advantage it provides is only reliable in certain situations that aren’t as typical in a battle royale. The assault rifles, on the other hand, simply don’t measure up to the existing Warzone weapons.
Warzone’s Monolithic Suppressor.
One reason for this is because they don’t have Warzone’s strongest attachment–the monolithic suppressor. It increases both the range and and bullet velocity of most guns in Modern Warfare. Black Ops Cold War’s suppressors only decreases those stats. Players don’t think Black Ops Cold War weapons will be able to compete unless they’re given a similar attachment.
Last week, Twitch announced changes to its hateful conduct and harassment policy, including disallowing the use of terms such as “simp,” “incel,” and “virgin” when used in a derogatory fashion.
The new policy will start on January 22 and is effectively an update to Twitch’s evolving hateful conduct guidelines. To that end, Twitch says it will “look at the content of statements or actions in order to determine whether a behavior is abusive and violates our guidelines, rather than relying solely on perceived intent,” suggesting the company hopes to shut down bad actors who feign ignorance of unclear guidelines.
Using terms like ‘simp,’ ‘incel,’ and ‘virgin’ as an insult—to negatively refer to another person’s sexual activity—is not allowed under this new policy,” Twitch COO Sara Clemens said during a Twitch townhall stream. “In addition to the policy change, we’re also proactively denying emotes that include the term ‘simp.’ And we remove them when reported, and we’ll keep doing that once the policy changes.”
Twitch also updated its hateful conduct and harassment policy page with a new section on sexual harassment. Twitch notes that sexual harassment can take a multitude of forms, including “unwelcome sexual advances and solicitations, sexual objectification, or degrading attacks relating to a person’s perceived sexual practices, regardless of their gender.”
Twitch’s policy also includes more particular acts of sexual harassment, including privately messaging a user with unwanted compliments about their appearance, stating a person is sexually immoral because of their clothing or physical appearance, and the aforementioned use of the word “virgin” as well as “whore.”
Other notable inclusions are:
Degrading another person by accusing them of having a sexually transmitted disease.
Suggesting a person’s channel is popular only because of sexual favors.
Using the whisper function to send unwanted sexual comments to another user.
Commenting on someone’s sexual prowess or lack thereof.
Twitch’s policy states that it will look at a streamer’s actions when considering disciplinary actions against another user. This basically means that if a streamer has previously banned you from their channel, given you a timeout, or previously reported your behavior, that will be added to the case against you if Twitch moderators become involved.
Twitch’s other hateful conduct and harassment policy include rules about posting racially discriminatory language and imagery.
The word “simp” has developed into a derogatory term for a man who is overly desperate for the affection of another person, particularly a woman. It follows in the footsteps of terms like “white knight,” which describes a man who exhibits an overeagerness to defend a woman’s reputation. Ironically, “simp” has become somewhat interchangeable, with some people using it as a way to mock any form of professional or personal admiration.
“Incel” (or “involuntary celibate”) has had a similar although not identical trajectory as a slur. The incel movement began as an online subculture of men who expressed frustration at not being able to find sexual or romantic partners, which developed a trend of resentment and misogyny directed towards sexually liberated individuals. Much like “simp,” it too has become a sort of catch-all insult for people perceived as sexually lacking.
HBO’s upcoming Suicide Squad spin-off Peacemaker has reportedly gained four new cast members. Chukwudi Iwuji (When They See Us) will be a series regular, while Lochlyn Munro (Riverdale), Annie Chang (Shades of Blue), and Christopher Heyerdahl (Togo) will each be recurring guest stars, according to Variety.
All that’s known about the most recent cast members is the name of the characters they will be portraying. Reportedly–and this still doesn’t tell us much–Iwuji will play a character named Clemson Murn, Munro will play Larry Fitzgibbon, Chang will play Detective Sophie Song, and Heyerdahl will play Captain Locke. For now, anything beyond this information would unfortunately be speculation.
Suicide Squad’s director, James Gunn, will be writing and directing Peacemaker. Suicide Squad is set to premiere simultaneously on HBO Max and in theaters, as part of a dramatic move by Warner announced earlier this month.
Sure, Fortnite may have its Winterfest, and Overwatch has its Winter Wonderland, but Vikings? Vikings practically invented the winter solstice, and Ubisoft is showing that off in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s free holiday update, dubbed the “Yule Festival.”
Valhalla’s Yule Festival runs from December 17 to January 7, letting players collect some free cosmetics and play around with some new activities. Note: You’ll have to complete one story arc (either Grantebridgescire or Ledecestrescire) to access the Yule Festival.
The first thing players will likely notice is the expansion to Ravensthorpe, the settlement that players establish as Eivor early on in the game. The area is much snowier as a result of the winter solstice, and the settlement has been decorated in preparation for festivities.
Side activities include drunk brawls (the best kind), archery challenges, and others. Players who play throughout the activities will receive “Yule tokens” to exchange for cosmetic rewards, like new outfits for Eivor.
Here’s the full list of Yule rewards.
Mōdraniht Ceremonial Outfit
Mōdraniht Tattoo Set
Mōdraniht Ceremonial Seax
Mōdraniht Ceremonial Shield
Traditional Yule Garland
Sacrificial Altar
Ritual Tree Ornaments
Cozy Fire Pit
Yule Beech Tree
Starting December 22, players can also purchase the Niflheim theme in the Ubisoft store, which includes a stunningly blue set of winter armor, a reindeer steed, and even turns your crow into a little ice dragon.
Players who have an artistic side can try their hand at Valhalla’s community contest. Players can submit a photo or a video for a chance to win Valhalla’s official art book and 50 euros worth of in-game Helix credits. That runs from December 17 to January 1. Details can be found on the official Assassin’s Creed Discord or Twitter.
Ubisoft says Yule season will continue into February as well, with a new replayable River Raid mode and the addition of ranks to the Jomsvikings recruits you meet during your adventures.
As if that weren’t enough, the real-life village of Ravensthorpe (located in England’s Northamptonshire and sporting a hearty population of approximately 500-600 people) will be offering an Assassin’s Creed Valhalla-themed takeaway menu to patrons at the local Chequers Pub. So get your fill if you feel like making the drive to the countryside, although don’t expect to find any actual vikings. Valhalla narrative director Darby McDevitt told Eurogamer that the game’s settlement being so similar to the real-life town is a total coincidence.
