How the ‘Animus Decides’ System for Eivor’s Gender Works in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

It has finally become clear exactly how the “Animus decides” system works in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.

Ubisoft had previously revealed how there were several options for players in the new game when it came to deciding which gender to play as with Eivor. According to the publisher, players are able to play as a male or a female.

However, they also have the option to let the Animus — the in-game system that allows characters to relive the memories of their ancestors — choose the gender of Eivor and swap between both male and female at different points in the story. But Ubisoft was tight-lipped about how exactly that would work in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.

With the game now out, it turns out that the default option will lead to users playing as the female version of Eivor throughout much of the story. The only time the character will swap to a male is when Eivor travels to the mythical realms of Asgard and Jotunheim.

The reason behind this swapping also makes perfect sense when you experience the story but involves spoilers so will not be discussed here. Players can be reassured, though, that it doesn’t feel jarring or ruin the immersion when the gender suddenly changes.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is now available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.