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Is the Viking Trend About to Meet with its own Ragnarok?

Is the Viking Trend About to Meet with its own Ragnarok? - Ultimate Guide

By
Ambar Jimenez
2022-12-06 08:15:50




Entertainment tends to be an industry of cycles. While this is most visible in horror movies and video games, in which zombies and vampires alternatively take the spotlight, plenty of genres have their own iconic tropes that keep getting recycled. The dominance of superhero media seems to be fading, for instance, now that the biggest story arc in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has concluded.

Recently, Vikings have been enjoying their time in the sun, with plenty of titles taking their cues from the Nordic raiders. The recent God of War: Ragnarok title is arguably the most prominent example but Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Valheim, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, and Northgard have all appeared since 2017. With God of War seemingly about to move on from Norse mythology, is the theme now on borrowed time?

Starfield


There’s both good and bad news. Currently, there doesn’t appear to be anything Viking-related in the release schedule. All the evidence suggests that late 2022 and 2023 will be dedicated to sci-fi, as Swordship, High on Life, The Callisto Protocol, Starfield, and Deliver Us Mars all either await release or enjoy their first few days of it. This will send the Vikings packing for a while.

However, unlike Egyptian mythology, which is a rare thing outside of Tomb Raider, Vikings do have a constant presence in gaming. Let’s not forget that the Nordic themes of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim pre-dated the current run on Norsemen by almost a decade. This eternal fondness probably has a lot to do with activity outside the gaming industry, as creatives try to capitalize on anything that’s popular.

It’s no coincidence that the quartet of Thor movies and the Vikings TV series were all made within the last ten years, while the audience’s interest in the topic was at a fever pitch. There's also been significant interest in the ancient pillagers among casino developers. Vikings Go Wild is listed among a suite of mythological slots at PlayStar, a safe online casino that also hosts Hoard of Poseidon and Arthur Pendragon.

House of Dragon


As more general fantasy themes are currently in vogue in the mainstream, driven by Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, this could once again signal a decline in Viking media. Coincidentally, we could be at a crossroads for a number of entertainment tropes. The end of The Walking Dead, a pillar of the zombie community, may result in the (temporary) doom of the flesh-eaters, too.

The one part of Nordic entertainment that’s still thriving is the Vikings: Valhalla show, which has a second season penciled in for early 2023. This will slot nicely into the gap left by House of Dragon, which is not expected to resume for a year or more. As for gaming, though, the upcoming Wild Hearts does offer a romp with giant creatures but without attaching itself to any particular mythology.

Does the world of Vikings still offer the same appeal for gamers as it did in the 2010s or has the novelty worn off? It might be a while before the answer is revealed.







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