More Valheim Roadmap details have been revealed by Iron Gate, explaining what players can expect to see for new content throughout 2021 and giving us an idea of what the finished game will look like in the end.
Valheim has proved to be an explosively popular game. It has now sold nearly three million copies halfway through its third week of release. Many players will soon be hungry for new content and it's definitely on the way; now, we have a better idea of what it looks like.
New Valheim Roadmap Details Include Cooking Expansion, New Biomes
The Valheim Roadmap details expand on the previous reveal of the Roadmap right after the game's launch earlier this month. The game's Roadmap was rather vague and didn't present any sort of timeline or expand on the details for each planned update and now we've learned a little more about what's on the way thanks to a new interview with the developers.
Before we move on, it should be noted that these Valheim Roadmap details will contain some spoilers for the later portions of the game. If you'd prefer to preserve the magic and not get spoiled on any of the mid-to-late-game content, it's best to skip ahead to the last section of the article!
Speaking to PC Gamer, Iron Gate's Co-Founder Henrik Törnqvist has detailed what players can expect to see for each of the game's four major updates in the coming months.
Valheim Hearth and Home Update
As one might expect, the new Valheim Roadmap details explain what we already suspected for the first update's content. "Hearth and Home" is going to add new building pieces, new recipes, and other new content in a similar theme.
"It will probably be pretty focused on the food preparation aspect of the game with more recipes and stuff like that," Törnqvist explained. "But there are also new additional building pieces."
Valheim Cult of the Wolf Update
Details on the Valheim Cult of the Wolf Update are a little thin, sadly. Wolves are already in the game as part of the "Mountain" biome, a challenging area that many players have likely not reached yet. That said, Henrik Törnqvist revealed that this particular update will have a focus on exploration and combat.
Valheim Ships and the Sea Update
The primary focus of this update is exactly what it says on the tin — it seems that Iron Gate is keen on using straightforward naming for its updates. Ships and the Sea will add a level of ship customization and some improvements to the Ocean Biome; currently, the Ocean Biome only has a couple of truly interesting things for players to discover.
Valheim Mistlands Update
Finally, the Valheim Mistlands Update will add the sixth biome to the game. Intrepid explorers have already discovered the Mistlands in the game, but the biome is not yet populated by any new content. This particular update will be substantial for longtime players of the game; it's planning on adding the following content:
- New Enemies
- New Items
- New Resources
- A new boss
- and more
Adding New Valheim Biomes Could Prove Tricky
One of the more interesting Valheim Roadmap details is a confirmation that each of the game's new biomes will also come with a new boss. However, adding this new content to the game without impacting the player's experience could be a challenge for Iron Gate.
Currently, Valheim has eight biomes in the game. The Meadows, Black Forest, Swamp, Mountain, and Plains are all fully populated with creatures, resources, and their own distinct bosses; this is why there are five stone pillars for the bosses at the world's spawn point.
Supplementing these five functional biomes are three additional zones that are in the game but lacking in any substantial features. Aside from the Mistlands (which is slated to be updated later this year), there's the Deep North at the top of the world and the Ashlands at the extreme southern end of the map.
Törnqvist says that the finished version of the game will have a total of nine biomes (and consequently, nine bosses), but getting this new content into the game is still something that Iron Gate is figuring out. Hopefully, they can avoid having to erase any world data.
"We're currently discussing how we're gonna do that. From a technical standpoint," Törnqvist said. "I can't really give you a clear answer right now."
When is the Next Valheim Update?
The next Valheim Update will likely arrive sometime in the next few months. Unfortunately, Iron Gate has yet to disclose any specific release date for the Hearth and Home Update or any of the other new content coming to the game.
For now, Iron Gate is keeping its focus on fixing bugs in the game. Once that's done, it will get cracking on bringing new content to its three million players (and counting).
What do you think of the new Valheim Roadmap details? What's been your favorite moment in the game thus far? Let us know in the comments below!
