In a new blog entry, the developers of the survival game outline their plans for 2023, announcing the Ashlands as the next biome update.
At the end of 2022, a major update was released for Valheim with the Mistlands, which extensively reworked and expanded the eponymous biome. Now the developers have announced their next goal: The Ashlands in the south are to receive a general overhaul next. There are also other small announcements in the new blog post, which we summarise here.
This is what the Ashlands should look like
Currently you can already find the Ashlands in the game, they are a lifeless wasteland where the air is full of ash. The only things to be found there are the odd surtling and some glowing metal.
Like other areas before it, the biome is to be completely reworked and filled with life, at least in the figurative sense: the developers envision the Ashlands as a land of the dead in the future, where undead creatures are up to mischief. The area is also characterised by its volcanic activity. However, there is not yet a target release date for the update.
The developers have already revealed some details about the new content and the course of development in their blogpost:
- The biome will be very different: Unlike other areas, you won”t find the Ashlands as islands scattered across the map, but as a large piece of land in the south.
- Development to be transparent: During the development of the Mistlands, the developers revealed little about progress and content, but this is now to change. Players are to be fully informed about the conception of the Ashlands. We get to see early concepts that may not all make it into the game, but should thereby better understand how advanced the development is.
While we wait for the Ashlands, there will also be some minor updates released, but they should not delay the release of the Ashlands:
- Hildir”s Quest: This small content update brings us new clothes for our characters, an NPC named Hildir and the possibility to redesign our hair.
- Xbox release: Valheim is scheduled to be released for Xbox in spring 2023 and will then allow crossplay between console and PC.
- New difficulty settings: The developers are also working on adding new settings that will make Valheim harder or easier.
- Accessibility: Last but not least, they want to make sure that players with disabilities can also try Valheim.
The future of Valheim is uncertain
Valheim delighted an overwhelming majority of its players, but its updates – including Mistlands – were never able to replicate its release success. While the game has a solid base of active players, even Valheim enthusiast Géraldine worries about the future of the survival hit in her column.
What do you think of the plans for Ashlands? Are you looking forward to the next biome, would you rather have something different, or do the updates for Valheim just take too long for you? Feel free to write your opinion in the comments!
