Looking at the new monstrosities coming to the Ashlands in the latest Valheim update.
Valheim enjoyed breakout success during its small indie launch back in 2021. Back then, the Early Access hit made waves in the gaming space, which inspired multiple fan and developer-led communities to form around the Viking-esque sandbox. Since release, the game has been receiving updates prior to its 2023 release, including its massive Mistlands expansion. All that being said, it looks like the next chapter in the boss-slayer Norse sim is slowly being revealed, one terrifying screenshot at a time.
The kind folks at Iron Gate Studios have given us a closer look at Valheim’s upcoming biome. Aptly called “The Ashlands”, the new zone is a blazing hot hellscape. From what little we’ve gleamed from official twitter posts, the hostile biome has a lot to look forward to. Valheim developer Coffee Stain teased concept art and short clips of the Ashlands a while back. On top of that, artists and animators also shared their contributions, including new siege constructs and weapon designs.
@Valheimgame hehe… Im making something… hehe (may or may not get implemented into Valheim) pic.twitter.com/iaWvbrn7dy
— Grimmcore (@RobinEyreArt) April 14, 2023
The latest update came via a Developer blog on the official Valheim game website. Here, we were given our first glimpse at the new mobs that will be walking the tenth realm very soon. Among them, we saw a Charred Skeleton, the bony Fallen as well as the Bonemaw, each one sounding more nope than the last.
A friendly reminder to bring bows and arrows when you pay a visit to the Ashlands. Yikes.
Valheim’s content is ramping up, and it looks like we’re getting at least 7 whole biomes before the game’s final release. Valheim’s early access started on February 2021, but rose to the top of the Steam charts with overwhelming praise. To see how well it’s current updates has shaped the Viking sim, check out our 2023 Valheim review here!
Valheim’s creators have also revealed the Ram, a construct that is implied to be used in future siege play mechanics. On top of that, we’ve also seen creators adding their very own trebuchets in the Viking sim. Wonder what they’re going to be used against?
Considering how Mistlands took a whole year to develop, we should expect Coffee Stain to release The Ashlands before early 2024. That said, new and returning players have plenty of time to fully explore Valheim’s environments. The indie hit’s retro aesthetic, simplistic crafting system and cozy soundtrack all work together to build Valheim’s rich exploration experience. A technical feat that only the Swedes have mastered (ahem, Minecraft ahem). Building a Viking empire of your dreams never looked so good, and the new challenges that await are going to make victory taste all the sweeter.
Valheim is available to play on PC, Xbox One and Xbox X/S.
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