Valheim News

Hello vikings! We've got a bunch of fixes and improvements for you today, to smooth out the game and to prepare everything for the upcoming Ashlands update. This patch touches on everything from enemy spawning and build pieces to language issues and memory leaks. Most notably though, it features an upgrade of Unity and a significant change to how the game loads assets such as dungeons. If you mod the game, please see the FAQ linked further below as it will most likely affect yours.

Important note if you have played the PTB patch 0.217.43:
If you have removed a world and then created a new world with the same name, you will need to remove the following files from your worlds folder:
[mapname]_forestMaskTexture
[mapname]_heightTexture
[mapname]_mapTexture


[h3]Abbreviated Patch Notes:[/h3]
* Unity engine upgraded
* Major changes how locations/dungeons are loaded to improve performance
* Multiple bug fixes

[h3]Detailed Patch Notes:[/h3]
Fixes & improvements:
* Upgraded Unity engine to 2022.3.17f
* Changes to how locations/dungeons/rooms are loaded and unloaded. For more information regarding this change, please see the FAQ
* Fixed issue where Seasonal groups that extended over a year change wouldn't work in the new year
* Fixed terrain modifications around locations not getting applied properly
* Fixed bug where old pre-Mistlands terrain modification did not blend with newer modifications [Note! you have to run the “optterrain” command to update the terrain]
* Fixed issue with the point emote not orienting the player properly
* Fixed multiple bugs related to the blocklist
* Fixed a bug where menu navigation via keyboard arrows keys stopped working after the setting menu was exited via ESC or back button
* Fixed some UI elements to no longer flicker when the game is running at low FPS
* Naturally spawned beds can now be removed using the hammer
* Fixed a bug where Geirrhafa and Brenna would respawn after game restart
* Turnip inventory stacking fixed to match other vegetables
* Fixed missing text for Fermenter without a roof
* Fixed hardcoded text for Kiln
* Fixed a bug where weight for many items is not displayed for Turkish language
* Fixed text in some languages not being centered vertically in the manage saves menu
* Fixed items in merchants' stores not being centered
* Fixed Sun shafts and Soft particles graphic settings not toggling properly
* Low disk space warning improvements
* Fixed a memory leak when highlighting building objects
* Improve time to validate IP addresses which speeds up loading
* Players can now find friends on Xbox/MS Store via friends tab in server browser
* Fixed missing text when trying to use an item on a cartography table and windmill
* Fixed an issue with Linux dedicated servers
* Fixed window resizing when exiting settings
* Elder no longer spawns on his altar
* Optimised minimap to reduce FPS drops when having a lot of map markers
* Fixed an issue with cloud saves on Microsoft Store
* Weight text in UI Tooltips now show both individual weight and total weight for stacked items
* Fixed a bug that caused 2 days to be skipped instead of 1 when only Xbox clients were connected to a dedicated server
* Tweaked how camera rotation on gamepads behave [Now a lot more similar to how it behaves on Mouse/Keyboard]
* Fixed inconsistent support calculations for “Cage floor” 1x1 piece
* Fixed gap when placing banners
* Fix items to no longer move in the inventory UI when upgrading them
* Fixed creature position not updating properly when transferring ownership
* Fixed an issue where blocklist would allocate 2GB of RAM, now it only allocates what is necessary
* Fixed issues with boat ownership when a client gets disconnected
* Boats no longer suddenly stop when ownership is transferred or a player is accessing the boat storage
* Sails are now blowing in the correct direction compared to winds
* Dealing knockback to an enemy in a slope no longer affects the player dealing the knockback
* Gamepad and mouse now both behave in the same way
* Added caching for minimap creation to make startup time faster
* Portals are no longer connected after the connected portal is destroyed
* Fixed an issue with loading threading to decrease load times
* Show a warning if dependencies are not installed

Xbox and Microsoft Store only:
* Fixed an issue where friends tab on server browser did not display friend's servers at all

⚠️ Note: This update is for the Public Test branch of Valheim only, and may therefore be unstable!


Prior to launching this update to the Default version of the game, we want to have a chance to discover bugs and fine-tune the balancing to ensure the best game experience.

• ACCESS: Right-click Valheim in your Steam library, then select ‘Properties’. In the new window, select ‘Betas’ and type in the code “yesimadebackups”. The Public Test branch should now be available for you to select. The PTB FAQ can be found here.
  
  
  
• FEEDBACK: Please leave any feedback in the “#valheim-public-test” channel in our Discord or through the PTB form on our website.
  
  
  

Please remember to be considerate towards players who are not participating in the Public Test, as some may prefer to avoid spoilers. As indicated by the access code, please ensure to create backups of your save files before playing.

This patch contains several fixes to the minimap, as well as fixes to dungeon generation and to portals.

Important note if you have played the PTB patch 0.217.43:
If you have removed a world and then created a new world with the same name, you will need to remove the following files from your worlds folder:
[mapname]_forestMaskTexture
[mapname]_heightTexture
[mapname]_mapTexture

[h3]Detailed Patch Notes:[/h3]

* Mountains above 200 in height should no longer be cut of on minimap
* Changed names of minimap cache files to include “Cache”
* Fixed an issue where dungeons are much smaller and has worse loot when generated
* Portals are no longer connected after the connected portal is destroyed
* Fixed an issue with loading threading to decrease load times
* Fixed asset loading system's "operation to loader" dictionaries being reassigned multiple times
*Updated Asset Bundle naming
* Fixed issue with cartography table not working when reading your own pins
* Fixed issue where the minimap would show the map for a previous world with the same name
* Fixed issue where minimap flickers with the names of pins
* Fixed issue where the files start_headless_server and steam_appid.txt were missing from the dedicated server builds
* Fixed a bug that caused dungeons to be generated differently than before
* Fixed worlds_local not being created correctly for cloud file sources.
* Show a warning if dependencies are not installed

Steam only:
* Start menu scene is no longer reloaded if the client fails to determine the backend of a dedicated server.

Xbox and Microsoft Store only:
* Fixed a freeze when entering suspend mode
* Fixed a bug that caused the game to no longer return to the start scene when entering suspend mode while hosting or being joined to a multiplayer game
* Fixed an issue where friends tab on server browser did not display friend's servers at all

Hello vikings!

March is nearing its end and we’re quite busy here at Iron Gate. Some of us were at GDC in San Francisco last week, and were even able to meet some of you! Unity had a booth where you could try out a bunch of games made with their engine and that included a Valheim setup – if you were there we hope you had a great time!

Otherwise we’re currently spending most of our time ironing out a lot of wrinkles. Just like any biome, the Ashlands will feature several new mechanics, new materials, building pieces and enemies, and it’s important to get all of that working smoothly. Right now we’re solving as many bugs and issues as we can in order to give you the best experience possible!

That being said, the Ashlands update really isn’t far away now, and in order to make sure you’re sufficiently prepared, we have put together this article for you, so that you know what to expect in terms of world generation, difficulty, and so on.

But as always, onto the teasers! You might have noticed that we’ve promised that the Ashlands update will feature over 50 new build pieces (there were just over 35 for the Mistlands update, for comparison), and today we’d like to show you a decorative window in the new wooden material which will be accessible in the biome. Here it’s built together with regular wooden walls and black marble pieces:



We also want to show you a new floor piece that will be featured in the Ashlands. Can we interest you in some diagonal boards?



Build pieces won’t be the only way to customise your home though – the Ashlands update will also feature vines that you can plant yourself and have grow onto your house! They will grow wherever they are able to, however, so make sure they don’t cover the door…

Something people were wondering was whether the vines would only be vines, or whether there would be something to harvest from them. To that, we’d like to reply with this little picture:



Finally, in case you missed it, we have plushies in our merch store! There’s a lox and a neck, and a small troll head keychain. Aren’t they just the cutest? These are available for purchase right now, in case you need something to squeeze tight when the Ashlands update arrives…



[h3]Build of the Month[/h3]

This month we’re highlighting this island base by DetailNew37. Look at all those details! If you want your creation to be featured in this section, use the hashtag #ValheimBotM on social media. If you post anywhere other than Twitter, please also send us a DM with a link to your post, to make sure that we see it. You can view previous builds in this thread on Steam.



Sharpen your axes!

/The Iron Gate team

If you’d like to discuss the content of this post, please visit our Discord, or our forums on Reddit and Steam, or make a comment on social media!

⚠️ Note: This update is for the Public Test branch of Valheim only, and may therefore be unstable!


Prior to launching this update to the Default version of the game, we want to have a chance to discover bugs and fine-tune the balancing to ensure the best game experience.

• ACCESS: Right-click Valheim in your Steam library, then select ‘Properties’. In the new window, select ‘Betas’ and type in the code “yesimadebackups”. The Public Test branch should now be available for you to select. The PTB FAQ can be found here.
  
  
  
• FEEDBACK: Please leave any feedback in the “#valheim-public-test” channel in our Discord or through the PTB form on our website.
  
  
  

Please remember to be considerate towards players who are not participating in the Public Test, as some may prefer to avoid spoilers. As indicated by the access code, please ensure to create backups of your save files before playing.

Hello vikings! We've got a bunch of fixes and improvements for you today, to smooth out the game and to prepare everything for the upcoming Ashlands update. This patch touches on everything from enemy spawning and build pieces to language issues and memory leaks. Most notably though, it features an upgrade of Unity and a significant change to how the game loads assets such as dungeons. If you mod the game, please see the FAQ linked further below as it will affect many mods!

[h3]Abbreviated Patch Notes:[/h3]
* Unity engine upgraded
* Major changes how locations/dungeons are loaded to improve performance
* Multiple bug fixes

[h3]Detailed Patch Notes:[/h3]
Fixes & improvements:
* Upgraded Unity engine to 2022.3.17f
* Changes to how locations/dungeons/rooms are loaded and unloaded. For more information regarding this change, please see the FAQ
* Fixed issue where Seasonal groups that extended over a year change wouldn't work in the new year
* Fixed terrain modifications around locations not getting applied properly
* Fixed bug where old pre-Mistlands terrain modification did not blend with newer modifications [Note! you have to run the “optterrain” command to update the terrain]
* Fixed issue with the point emote not orienting the player properly
* Fixed multiple bugs related to the blocklist
* Fixed a bug where menu navigation via keyboard arrows keys stopped working after the setting menu was exited via ESC or back button
* Fixed some UI elements to no longer flicker when the game is running at low FPS
* Naturally spawned beds can now be removed using the hammer
* Fixed a bug where Geirrhafa and Brenna would respawn after game restart
* Turnip inventory stacking fixed to match other vegetables
* Fixed missing text for Fermenter without a roof
* Fixed hardcoded text for Kiln
* Fixed a bug where weight for many items is not displayed for Turkish language
* Fixed text in some languages not being centered vertically in the manage saves menu
* Fixed items in merchants' stores not being centered
* Fixed Sun shafts and Soft particles graphic settings not toggling properly
* Low disk space warning improvements
* Fixed a memory leak when highlighting building objects
* Improve time to validate IP addresses which speeds up loading
* Players can now find friends on Xbox/MS Store via friends tab in server browser
* Fixed missing text when trying to use an item on a cartography table and windmill
* Fixed an issue with Linux dedicated servers
* Fixed window resizing when exiting settings
* Elder no longer spawns on his altar
* Optimised minimap to reduce FPS drops when having a lot of map markers
* Fixed an issue with cloud saves on Microsoft Store
* Weight text in UI Tooltips now show both individual weight and total weight for stacked items
* Fixed a bug that caused 2 days to be skipped instead of 1 when only Xbox clients were connected to a dedicated server
* Tweaked how camera rotation on gamepads behave [Now a lot more similar to how it behaves on Mouse/Keyboard]
* Fixed inconsistent support calculations for “Cage floor” 1x1 piece
* Fixed gap when placing banners
* Fix items to no longer move in the inventory UI when upgrading them
* Fixed creature position not updating properly when transferring ownership
* Fixed an issue where blocklist would allocate 2GB of RAM, now it only allocates what is necessary
* Fixed issues with boat ownership when a client gets disconnected
* Boats no longer suddenly stop when ownership is transferred or a player is accessing the boat storage
* Sails are now blowing in the correct direction compared to winds
* Dealing knockback to an enemy in a slope no longer affects the player dealing the knockback
* Gamepad and mouse now both behave in the same way
* Added caching for minimap creation to make startup time faster

Greetings!

We had quite a bit of a tumultuous end to January here at Iron Gate, with our Discord server unfortunately getting hacked. The server has been built back up again and we once more invite you to join us there, though we’re sad to say that most of the chat history is now gone due to the hackers deleting almost all of the channels. Still, so many of you reached out to us to offer your support and well-wishes, and it means a lot to us to have such a caring community. You’re the best!

But now on to the fun stuff: In case you’ve missed it, we are currently collaborating with Heroic Replicas! They have created some incredible Valheim replicas, both large and small, which you can now get your hands on. Check out their Kickstarter campaign, which is live for another couple of days. Book your items before February 26th while you have the chance!

The best part about the Kickstarter is that it’s run entirely by Heroic Replicas, so it hasn’t impacted the Ashlands development at all! We’d of course like to continue to give you some sneak peeks of what we’re working on, and for that we’d like to start off with the third and final Walk & Talk episode. We hope you’ve appreciated the series!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

But of course we have some good old fashioned still images for you as well! The Ashlands is a hostile place, even for the creatures that live there. You’ll be able to stumble upon the corpses of some of them on your travels. Just be careful of whatever killed them in the first place…



The skulls of the very same creatures can also be used to create this fancy-looking wreath, which is both decorative and useful. Can you guess what for?



We also want to give you a clearer view of something from the Walk & Talk episode. We go into a bit of detail about the weapon customisation you’ll be able to experiment with in the Ashlands, and how you’ll use gems to give special properties to your items. This sword, for example, is the same sword that we’ve already shown you a lightning version of, but this is what it will look like if you upgrade it with a bloodstone instead:



[h3]Build of the Month[/h3]

Even though we’re yearning for spring, we couldn’t resist this dreamy winter castle by Chicken_Phobia. Well done! If you want your creation to be featured in this section, use the hashtag #ValheimBotM on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. Due to changes in the tagging system on Facebook and Instagram, please also send us a DM with a link to your entry as well as using the hashtag if you post there! You can view previous builds in this thread on Steam.



Ready your swords!

/The Iron Gate team

If you’d like to discuss the content of this post, please visit our Discord, or our forums on Reddit and Steam, or make a comment on social media!