A developer at Ubisoft has openly acknowledged that Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, despite its early success, eventually spiraled into a game that was too large and unwieldy. In a recent interview, Simon Arselo—who is working on the Claws of Awaji expansion for Assassin’s Creed Shadows—said that Valhalla's problem stemmed from an overload of content. 

According to Arselo, the original vision behind Valhalla was solid, but as new features, expansions, and updates piled on, the game lost some of its structure and balance. What started as an exciting adventure turned—over time—into what he describes as a “monster” too big to manage cleanly. 

To avoid repeating those mistakes, Ubisoft’s team behind Claws of Awaji decided to adopt a different strategy. Arselo explained that they deliberately kept this expansion smaller and more focused, defining clear goals for the experience. The intention is to release content that feels cohesive and doesn’t overwhelm players. 

Players had already voiced similar concerns. Valhalla’s storyline alone reportedly took over 61 hours to complete—something many felt stretched beyond what felt fun and engaging. That criticism helped feed enthusiasm for Assassin’s Creed Mirage, a game praised for returning to the series’ roots with a more compact, narrative-driven design. 

In summary, Ubisoft appears to be learning from Valhalla’s growing pains. With Claws of Awaji, the developer is aiming for balance over breadth—prioritizing polished, tightly-crafted content over ambitious but sprawling expansions. If successful, this approach could win back players who enjoy immersive stories without getting lost in overwhelming scale.