When Valheim launched in Early Access in February 2021, it was a surprise hit for many players. Iron Gate’s Viking survival game impressed with its atmospheric world, compelling gameplay, and a well-balanced mix of exploration, combat, and base-building. But from the start it was clear the game would grow, and the developers had a roadmap ready. The first truly major content update was Hearth & Home, released in September 2021. The name gave it away — it focused on the heart of the game: your home, food, and surviving in a dangerous world.
In this article, we take a close look at the update. We’ll explore what Hearth & Home introduced, how it changed the gameplay, and why it was a key milestone in Valheim’s development.
Valheim roadmap: The path to Hearth & Home
Before diving into the content, a quick look back is worthwhile. In the first months after release, Valheim surged up the Steam charts. Millions of players ventured into its procedurally generated worlds to gather resources, defeat bosses, and uncover the secrets of its biomes. But as the community raced ahead, some aspects of the game remained fairly basic. In particular, the food and health system was quite simple, and building lacked many options players were hoping for.
Iron Gate listened to the feedback. As early as spring 2021, they announced the first major update would be dedicated to “home and hearth.” In other words, the things that define everyday life in Valheim: food, houses, and details that make the world feel more alive. Expectations were high — and Hearth & Home delivered in many areas.
Valheim Hearth & Home: Overhauled food and health system
The most important change was the food and health system. Before Hearth & Home, it was simple: you could eat three different foods that increased health and stamina across the board. Many players therefore just picked the strongest foods available. Strategic choices? Not really.
Hearth & Home changed that fundamentally. Food is now divided into three categories:
- Hearty (red): Dishes that primarily boost health.
- Stamina-rich (yellow): Foods that significantly increase stamina.
- Balanced (white): Meals that offer a middle ground.
This lets you tailor your diet to your playstyle. Melee fighters gravitate toward HP-heavy dishes, while gatherers, woodcutters, or builders benefit from stamina-focused meals. Hearth & Home added not just new recipes but real decision-making depth.
Pro tip: For bosses, a common setup is 2x hearty + 1x balanced. For building and farming: 2x stamina-rich + 1x balanced.
New Valheim recipes and ingredients in the Hearth & Home update
The update introduced numerous new ingredients. Onions joined the game and can be cultivated. There are also many new cooking options at the cauldron and upgrades, such as:
- Wolf Skewer — a hearty meat dish.
- Eyescream — a spooky-sweet dessert made with Greydwarf eyes.
- Lox Meat Pie — a powerful dish with lots of health.
- Blood Pudding — crafted with bloodbags from the Swamp.
The cooking system itself was expanded, too. By upgrading your cauldron, you unlock additional recipes — cooking becomes more structured and rewarding.
Hearth & Home: Blocking, shields, and combat explained
Beyond food, the combat system was also revised. One of the biggest changes concerned blocking with shields. Differences between shield types became much clearer:
- Tower shields: Huge, heavy, perfect for blocking strong attacks, but unwieldy.
- Bucklers: Small and light, ideal for quick parries.
- Round shields: The classic middle ground, balanced across the board.
New: Block power scales with your health. As your HP drops, your block strength decreases — so you’ll need to manage your food and HP during fights. Together with the new food system, combat becomes noticeably more tactical.
New building options and decorations in Valheim
The second major focus of Hearth & Home was building. Even before the update, impressive houses and fortresses were possible, but many finer details were missing. The update added numerous new building pieces that enable more creative construction.
Roof variations and structures: Darkwood, rounded roofs, great halls
New shingles, wood variations, and embellishments give structures more individuality. You can build rounded roofs, larger halls, and more intricate designs. A fan favorite: darkwood pieces (black wood) for striking accents.
Furniture, decor, and item stands for your base
If you like things cozy, outfit your base with new furniture and decorations, including:
- Raven ornaments
- Iron window grates
- New chairs and benches
- Shelves and kitchen decor
Especially handy: item stands to mount weapons, shields, or tools on the wall — perfect for smithies or a hall of fame.
Cartography Table: Share maps in multiplayer
A small but hugely popular addition was the Cartography Table. In Valheim, each player explores the world individually, and each map is unique. In multiplayer, that meant everyone had different map data. With the Cartography Table, you can share your discoveries with ease: add your map data, friends copy it — exploring together becomes far easier and more immersive.
Resources, crafting, and balance changes
The crafting system also received adjustments. Several recipes were reworked, and new materials were added. The forge and workbench got extensions required for new weapon and armor tiers.
New weapon variants like the battleaxe add more variety. There were also balance changes: some weapons were toned down, others buffed — for a more even experience.
Quality of life: HUD, inventory, and emotes
Hearth & Home brought many small quality-of-life tweaks that help a lot day to day:
- Improved inventory organization — more icons, clearer overview.
- Revised HUD elements — health, stamina, and food are displayed more clearly.
- New emotes and animations for better interaction with friends.
Especially useful: the updated HUD bars show how long your food will last and how your stats change over time. The system is much more transparent.
Community reactions to the Hearth & Home update
The release of Hearth & Home was highly anticipated. Many celebrated the new building options and the added depth of the food system. There was debate, though: at first, the new diet felt like a nerf to some, since you could no longer just stack the three strongest foods. Instead, planning and stocking up became important.
In the long run, Hearth & Home was seen as a step in the right direction: more complexity, clearer roles (fighter, gatherer, builder), and an overall more rounded experience — solo, in co-op, or on servers.
Conclusion: Why Hearth & Home is a lasting improvement for Valheim
Hearth & Home was more than a content patch. It signaled that Iron Gate intends to develop Valheim for the long term. The revamped food system, new building options, and numerous quality-of-life improvements made the game deeper and more structured. It was the first building block for future major updates — from Frost Caves to Mistlands and Ashlands.
It’s the perfect opportunity to jump back in — solo or on your own server. Existing worlds immediately benefit from new furniture and decor; newcomers get a more refined system that makes the Viking world even more immersive. Rent your own Valheim server today.
