Has The Viking Bubble Burst In Mainstream Gaming?

Nearly a thousand years after they disappeared, Vikings blew a bubble in the video games industry with Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, Valheim, God of War: Ragnarök, and Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice.

The Nordic hold on the triple-A part of gaming seems to be coming to an end, however, and not just because Sony and Ubisoft have pivoted to different places with their historical epics. The Vikings’ time in the pop culture sun seems to be fading.

God of War

Of course, media is cyclical, and the public’s fondness for Vikings (and the Aztecs, Ancient Egyptians, etc.) never really goes away. Like Hollywood’s vampire boom of the early 2010s and the zombie epidemic before it, there’s no reason to think that Scandinavia’s raiders won’t be back in the spotlight soon. It’s just somebody else’s turn.

Gaming, movies, and TV all said goodbye to their respective Nords at roughly the same time. Marvel’s superhero movies heavily featured Thor until the company started its appreciation of lesser-known heroes, while the History Channel’s Vikings ended after six series in 2019. The follow-up Vikings: Valhalla wasn’t as well-received and ended after three seasons.

As hinted at earlier, Sony’s God of War franchise seems to be moving on from Asgard back to Kratos’ native Greece (previously, Egypt and Japan had been suggested). Ubisoft headed to Japan earlier this year with Assassin’s Creed.

Historical Themes

The good news for Vikings fans is that a third Senua game has been greenlit. It’s assumed to be in a familiar setting, as the conclusion of the trilogy. The Viking theme has also found a home in casino gaming, not just as a face for slots, but in other areas, like roulette. 

For example, The Hippodrome Online Casino has Vikings Multifire Roulette among its table games. Similarly, Roca Riches Roulette has an Aztec coat of paint, suggesting a trend for historical themes in roulette online. These variations make small tweaks to the game’s ruleset.

Several other Vikings-related video games are due for release, including the turn-based tactics title NORSE: Oath of Blood and the self-explanatory Viking City Builder. Also, Hellheim: A Norse Saga, an FPS, and action game Viking Berserker have release dates in the future. Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel, a “roguelike horde-survivor”, released in January 2025.

What’s lacking is the triple-A treatment, although the presence of several indie developers in the list above means things get experimental. There’s even Digital Daredevils’ Vikings Dynasty, which is pitched as a life sim.

Downturn

The obvious question is, what’s next? Where do the winds take our Viking ship? The obvious answer is Japan, thanks to the popularity of Ghost of Tsushima and its yet-to-be-released sequel Ghost of Yōtei. Ancient Egypt would’ve been nice, but God of War’s lack of interest in the setting probably means its dearth of games continues – and the same with South American cultures.

The unfortunate reality is that a recent downturn in the video games industry means that trends are difficult to predict. The number of horror titles due for release means things might get weird before they get historical again.