The much-anticipated and long-awaited Valheim Ashlands update has finally been released via the game's Public Test Realm, bringing a new biome, new gear to use, and much more.
Ashlands represents the next major content drop for the Viking survival game, following the release of the Mistlands update in December 2022. Developer Iron Gate said back in December last year that Ashlands would arrive in the first half of 2024, and it looks like the studio has kept that promise.
Iron Gate has previously detailed what you can expect from the Ashlands update in a number of developer blogs; new features include the titular Ashlands biome, as well as more than ten new creatures to fight, over 30 new weapons to wield, and more than 70 new buildable items.
It's worth noting that this is a Public Test Realm release, which means it might be a little unstable; there may well be a few patches to fix bugs and performance issues before the update goes live.
You can access Valheim's Public Test Realm pretty easily. On Steam, just right-click the game in your Library, head to Properties, then click Betas and enter the code "yesimadebackups".
If you're playing Valheim via PC Game Pass, you'll need to open the Xbox Insider Hub app, then head to Previews and find Valheim Public test. Just hit Join and you should be golden.
You can check out the Valheim Ashlands update trailer below. Bear in mind that it does feature some spoilers for what you might find in the biome, so if you want to go in completely blind, close this article right now and go play it. I won't hold it against you.
You can check out the full Valheim Ashlands patch notes right here via Steam. Iron Gate has helpfully marked the patch notes with spoilers, so you can reveal them at your leisure.
Iron Gate has also put together a handy guide on how to prepare for the Ashlands update, so make sure you give that a read as well. Completely new to Valheim and looking for somewhere to start? Be sure to take a look at our guides to help you get your bearings!
