After five years of development, Valheim’s full release is finally available. Explore a new biome, face the game’s toughest challenges, and discover many new features in every region. Valheim 1.0 not only brings new weapons, armor, and enemies to the Deep North, but also delivers many updates and improvements to existing aspects of the survival game. From more inventory space and a grappling hook to greater landscape variety, both returning and new players can uncover a wealth of surprises. Today, we take a look at all the major additions in this overview. In upcoming guides, we’ll cover many of these topics in detail.
Valheim 1.0: Deep North biome with enemies and dungeons
Valheim’s map is finally complete, and far to the north you’ll now find icy regions that bring you closer to the end of the game. Sail with a boat of your choice into the areas surrounded by ice floes and embark on a completely new adventure. At first glance, the Deep North seems calm, but the new enemies are dangerous. You’ll also encounter new animals like seals and elk; you can even ride the latter.
We’ll take a closer look at the biome in a separate article. Prepare for the cold and craft a shovel. Keep an eye out for new dungeons where you’ll find not only bosses but also new materials. It’s even more fun together, so rent your own Valheim server and explore the new biome with friends.
Valheim 1.0 food and crops: kale, oats, lingonberries
Despite the icy cold, the new biome features new crops you can take with you and grow. These include kale as a nutritious vegetable and oats as a filling staple. You can pick lingonberries from bushes and use them in new cooking recipes. They make tasty dishes like pancakes, lingonberry juice, or meatballs. As always, recipes provide different benefits for HP, stamina, and Eitr.
Valheim 1.0 weapons and armor: molds, Frostfire, and Thunderblood
A wide selection of over 40 new weapons awaits you. The progression works a bit differently now so you can’t craft the best items right away. You now need molds to craft weapons and armor. You’ll find all the necessary materials and the new crafting stations in the Deep North.
Many weapons, similar to the Ashlands, have two alternate forms. The Frostfire variant deals combined fire and ice damage. The Thunderblood variant focuses on lightning damage. This lets you tailor your combat style. There are also new staves for mages.
A new metal is crucial for crafting: Bloodgold. It is created from petrified tissue of Rotten Trolls, which you blast with Ember Charges. You can only craft these bombs after you’ve defeated the Ashlands boss.
Valheim building: new pieces and a revamped build menu
Valheim is also a highlight for builders. There are many additions for even more beautiful homes. Every roof now has a 67-degree variant, offering greater design freedom. Other pieces include a larger greystone chest, drawbridges for base defense, and decorative stacks of metals.
In addition, the entire build menu has been overhauled. It now looks sleeker and more organized. A search function makes navigation much easier.
Valheim crafting the grappling hook: materials and use
In the Mistlands you can craft a new tool that makes the world far more accessible. With the grappling hook, you can cross large gaps quickly and safely. You’ll need a hook as loot from chests. Craft the grappling hook with 10x Yggdrasil wood, 10x refined Eitr, and 4x mandibles from Seekers. Craft it early; you’ll absolutely need it later.
Valheim ancient forge in the Mountains: upgrade items beyond max level
The mountain regions also offer a new surprise in the form of a point of interest. Similar to merchants, there are 10 possible locations, and the first position you discover remains marked on your map. It’s an altar that you use as a forge. There you can upgrade weapons and armor with found idols, even beyond the max level. The materials range from wood to Bloodmetal, with a type for each biome. Caution: The upgrade can fail and the item can break.
Valheim expand your inventory: larger bags from Haldor
Many players have wanted more inventory space. That’s now possible. Find Haldor, one of Valheim’s merchants. He sells new bags: one after defeating Moder in the Mountains for 1,000 coins and another after defeating the Queen on the Plains for 2,000 coins. Each bag gives you an additional inventory row for a total of 16 new slots.
Valheim biome variations: new points of interest and resources
Other biomes are also worth visiting, even on an existing save. There are new variations that make Valheim’s world more diverse. Some areas have very many berry bushes, large numbers of a single tree type, or other striking features. There are also places with unusually many enemies, clear-cut areas, or more points of interest. This is ideal for new playthroughs, so it never gets boring.
Conclusion on Valheim 1.0: new biome, weapons, and QoL
Valheim 1.0 delivers an impressive number of additions and is a worthy finale for the Viking survival game. Explore the new biome in the north of the map, use molds for powerful weapons and armor, and face new bosses in deep dungeons. Benefit from the grappling hook in the Mistlands, larger bags for more inventory space, and a revamped build menu. Whether further updates will follow remains to be seen. Until then, there’s plenty to do, experience, and discover. We’ll keep you supplied with guides to all the new features so you always stay up to date.
