Summary
Developer Iron Gate Studio has just released update 0.218.11 for the Public Test Build of its popular open-world survival game,Valheim. The build, which is less stable as it is used to check upcoming updates for the game, recently received a major content drop that introduced a new biome, equipment, and enemies, among other things.
Launched as an early access project in February 2021,Valheimprovides players with the opportunity to explore and conquer a massive open world inspired by Norse mythology with their friends. Since its release, the Unity engine-powered title has become an incredibly popular survival game, reaching an all-time peak player count of 500,000 on Steam, according to data provided by analytics tracker SteamDB. As an in-development project,Valheimconsistently receives updates, with content from the game’s highly anticipated Ashlands having recently been added to its Public Test Build.
Following the release of the Ashlands update on the beta client, the Public Test Build ofValheimhas received patch 0.218.11. The April 24 update delivered a number of balancing tweaks in the Ashlands, as well as multiple bug fixes and optimization changes. Among to be affected by this patch were the new Drakkar ship type and the Charred Warriors that were featured in the recently unveiledtrailer forValheim’s Ashlands update.
There is still no official word on exactly when the Ashlands update will make its way toValheim’s official build, but Iron Gate Studio mentioned in a January blog post that it was aiming to release the update sometime during the first half of 2024. Those eager to check out the new content from the Ashlands update should learnhow to play inValheim’s Public Test branch. It should be noted, however, that would-be testers may encounter plenty of bugs and other issues while playing the beta client.
The lastValheimupdate that introduced a new biome was the Mistlands update that went live in December 2022. Nearly a year later in August 2023, Iron Gate Studio dropped another major update in the form of Hildir’s Request, which added the eponymous NPC merchant and a host of other content to the game. While the title has undoubtedly grown exponentially since being launched in early access,Valheimstill needs to introduce a lot of featuresbefore it can be considered a complete game by many.
Right now, gamers who want to play a game likeValheimbut are still waiting for the title to be fleshed out even further can check out the many co-op survival games with open worlds that are available on the market. They may also try out otheropen-world games that reward exploration.
Valheim
WHERE TO PLAY
Valheimis a brutal exploration and survival game for 1-10 players set in a procedurally-generated world inspired by Norse mythology. Craft powerful weapons, construct longhouses, and slay mighty foes to prove yourself to Odin!EXPLORE THE TENTH WORLDExplore a world shrouded in mystery. Discover distinct environments with unique enemies to battle, resources to gather and secrets to uncover! Be a viking, sail the open seas in search of lands unknown, and fight bloodthirsty monsters.BUILD MIGHTY HALLSRaise viking longhouses and build bases that offer reprieve from the dangers ahead. Customise buildings, both inside and out, with a detailed building system. Progress through building tiers to upgrade, expand and defend your base.GATHER, CRAFT AND SURVIVEStruggle to survive as you gather materials and craft weapons, armor, tools, ships, and defenses. Decorate your hearths and sharpen your blades, grow crops and vegetables, prepare food, brew meads and potions, and progress as you defeat more difficult bosses and discover new recipes and blueprints.
