Ubisoft's upcoming Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarök DLC is featuring the Norse god Surtr, a deity that made an appearance in Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice in 2017. There are still many unknowns to AC Valhalla's take on the fire giant, but similarities and differences are bound to exist between both games' perspectives. To prepare, gamers can purchase a $40 pre-order of Dawn of Ragnarok now and go back and replay Hellblade, as the next game has already been announced.

Surtr (sometimes spelled "Surt," like in Hellblade) is a fire giant, according to Norse mythological traditions. In recent years, more game studios are creating video games based on Norse myths, but Surtr has rarely been mentioned in any form other than basic information; Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is the only major release to incorporate the god into its gameplay aspects. Surtr has influenced certain pop culture elements and is believed to be one of the main inspirations for J.R.R Tolkien's Balrogs in Middle-earth – the demon creature that Gandalf famously yells "you shall not pass" to before being pulled off the edge with it in the ensuing battle. Other than Hellblade God of War's Norse mythology shift brings up Surtr, and since Ragnarok is the next game, the fire giant could make an appearance. Ubisoft is now going to shine more light on the deity in Dawn of Ragnarok, but as with AC Valhalla, Surtr's interpretation will be through the studio's view.

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AC Valhalla incorporating Surtr into Dawn of Ragnarok sparks a conversation about how the deity might've been influenced by Hellblade's version of the fire giant. Dawn of Ragnarok's reveal trailer gave the gaming community some aspects to go off of, like his appearance and role in the upcoming narrative. There were a couple of immediate similarities that could be drawn to Hellblade, but also some clear differences between the two in the AC Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarok's DLC reveal. Nevertheless, there's still much information about Surtr yet to be revealed in the expansion, and the god could have the same abilities as it did in Hellblade.

Surtr's Similarities In AC Valhalla: Dawn Of Ragnarök & Hellblade

Senua Fights Surt In Hellblade Senuas Sacrifice

It seems that Ubisoft is sticking to using Surtr as traditionally as possible in Dawn of Ragnarok, just as Ninja Theory's Hellblade did. When it comes to the events of Ragnarök, most Norse myths use Surtr as a crucial figure because the fire giant is the one who essentially destroys everything in the end; maybe that's why AC Valhalla has described the creature as "unkillable" in the upcoming expansion, signaling Dawn of Ragnarok might be Valhalla's last DLC. Similarly, in Hellbalde, the guiding voice of Senua's friend, Druth, informs her during the journey that Surt is the fire giant sent to destroy all nine realms during Ragnarök's events. Senua must defeat the creature before gaining access to Helheim, which is where her dead lover, Dillion, is located. Based off the Dawn of Ragnarok's reveal trailer, it seems that Odin must take on a similar task and defeast Surtr before rescuing his captured son.

While there are some physical differences between the two appearance interpretations of the minor god in Dawn of Ragnarok and Hellblade, most of their elements are quite similar. Take, for example, the massive fire sword that Surtr is using in both games. This ties directly back into the more traditional side of the giant from Muspelheim – a newly mentioned realm in AC Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarok  as the fire sword is a staple to Surtr in the Norse myths. Not only are the swords similar but the physical size of the giant is as well. In Hellblade, Surt is about 2x the size of Senua; in Dawn of Ragnarok, Surtr looks about 3x the size of Odin, so both instances represent him as towering over others.

Surtr's Differances In AC Valhalla: Dawn Of Ragnarök & Hellblade

AC Valhalla Dawn of Ragnarok New Ice And Fire Enemies

Most of the differences are coming as speculation rather than fact due to the little information given in Dawn of Ragnarok's main story quests so far; however, some inferences can be drawn. Surtr seems to hold a much more prestigious and important role in AC Valhalla than in Hellblade, and there are some reasons for that. Surt is but a mere minor deity in Hellblade's story, only a smaller boss that needs to be defeated before progressing to Hela's domain. Aside from her own psyche, Senua's main adversary in Hellblade is the goddess Hela; the goddess also looks to be the main adversary in the upcoming God of War Ragnarok, controlling the Hel-Walkers. However, Surtr takes the form as the main antagonist against Odin in Dawn of Ragnarok, not a minor god.

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An obvious physical appearance that's different in both interpretations is the face. In Dawn of Ragnarök, there's an identifiable face to Surtr, but none in Hellblade's version. Senua's story is about internal conflict and psychosis, which is why the appearance matters less and the feeling of torment matters more; however, Ubisoft wants to portray a more fantasy look to Surtr in Dawn of Ragnarok because its specifically trying to engulf players in a historical interpretation of Norse mythology through the lens of the Vikings' legends and stories. It follows Ubisoft's attempts in recent Assassin's Creeds to feature different myths.

AC Valhalla's Surtr Could Get Hellblade's Abilities & Powers

Hellblade Senuas Sacrifice Surt Ability Powers

Ubisoft hasn't revealed any information detailing Surtr's unique abilities in Dawn of Ragnarok. Other than the giant's incredible strength and minion army, it's up in the air as to what its powers will be. In Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, Surtr had two abilities: health regeneration and a fire shield, which might get brought over to Dawn of Ragnarok. It's also probable that the god will have more powers, like a huge sword smash or some kind of biting attack, since it's know for devouring things in Norse tales. Nonetheless, Surtr is bound to be strong, but Odin with his new weapon – which could become the most powerful weapon in AC Valhalla  just might defeat the fire giant in the end.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarök is a massive DLC expansion with many details still left in the open. As time goes on, Ubisoft will reveal more mysteries about the narrative, location, and enemies. Until then, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice paints a possible picture of what Surtr the fire giant might be like. While Senua defeated Surtr, Odin may not have the same fate.

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