A new Valheim update has landed on the game's public test branch. This update is focused on introducing the frost caves area, in which you'll find new enemies, crafting materials, and items, among other things. The new update also brings Steam deck optimization and lots more.
What's in this new Valheim update?
Looks like we could be ticking closer to the Valheim caves release date. The new Valheim update contains a brand new frost caves area, which is designed to explain where the Fenring enemies in the upcoming Mountains update come from. You'll find several new enemy types here, including cultists and bats, as well as the chance to gather new Fenring crafting materials and fashion armor from said materials. There's also a new Flesh Rippers weapon that fits into the Unarmed category, as well as new build pieces for your stronghold and a new event to check out.
As well as this new content, there are also several quality-of-life improvements and additions. Full controller support has been added, alongside appropriate glyphs. Iron Gate has optimized Valheim for the Steam Deck, so you should be able to play it on Valve's upcoming handheld gaming PC when it launches later this month. You'll also find a bunch of more minor tweaks and improvements designed to make your time in the realm of Valheim a little bit more pleasurable. Make sure to take a look at the full Valheim patch notes if you want to see everything that's new in the latest public test branch update.
How to access the new Valheim public test update
Accessing the latest Valheim update via the public test branch couldn't be simpler. All you need to do is right-click your game in Steam, then navigate to the Properties window. From there, you'll see a "Betas" tab, and in the text box allowing you to opt into a beta, simply type "yesimadebackups" (haha, Iron Gate). This should make the public test realm accessible, and you'll be able to check out the new frost caves area and all the latest QOL improvements.
After the Mountains update, which will feature the frost caves as one of its dungeons, Iron Gate is looking forward to the Mistlands update. This will introduce a brand new biome, as well as plenty of new enemies to battle and loot to discover. Considering that Iron Gate's survival sandbox was one of the games featured in 2021's Best of Steam list, the studio certainly has its work cut out for it. We've yet to hear a full Valheim release date, as the game is still in Early Access, but if you'd like to check out this Viking survive-'em-up, you can grab it on Steam right now for $19.99.
Will you be checking out the new Valheim update on the public test branch? Let us know in the comments below!
