Valheim

Developer

Iron Gate Studio (Sweden)^[1][2]

Publisher

Coffee Stain Publishing^[1][2]

Engine

Unity^[1]

Composer

Patrik Jarlestam^[1]

Genre

Open-world survival^[1]

Early access release

2 February 2021 (Windows, Linux)^[1][2]

Full release (1.0)

9 September 2026^[1][2][3]

Players

1 to 10, single-player or co-op^[1][2]

Platforms

Windows, Linux, macOS, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2^[1][2]

Development

Valheim is developed by Iron Gate Studio, a Swedish studio formed during the game's production, and published by Coffee Stain Publishing.^[1][2] Richard Svensson began work on the project in 2017 under the working title Fejd; he left Pieces Interactive in 2018 to work on it full-time, and later that year he persuaded co-founder Henrik Tornqvist to join him.^[1]

The development team has five people, and the game runs on the Unity engine.^[1] Its original soundtrack, composed by Patrik Jarlestam, was released by Iron Gate AB on 29 October 2021.^[1]

Releases

Valheim entered early access on Steam for Linux and Microsoft Windows on 2 February 2021.^[1][2] Versions for Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S followed on 14 March 2023, ported by the external studios Piktiv and Fishlabs, and a macOS version arrived on 10 June 2024.^[1]

The full 1.0 release shipped on 9 September 2026 together with versions for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2, ending about five and a half years of early access.^[1][2][3] Iron Gate had announced the date in a YouTube trailer on 7 June 2026,^[3][4] presenting 1.0 as the release of the Deep North, the biome players had long asked for, with new enemies, building and weapons.^[3]

Iron Gate kept patching the game after 1.0: patch 1.0.20, published on 15 October 2026, fixed trophies dropping less often than intended.^[7]

Gameplay

Valheim is a third-person open-world survival game in which players gather resources, build shelters and fight enemies to stay alive.^[1] It can be played solo or in multiplayer, with cooperative play for up to ten people and optional player-versus-player combat.^[1][2]

Players gather resources by foraging, hunting, mining and farming, then use them to craft gear, cook food and build bases.^[1] Three bars (health, stamina and Eitr) are affected by what the player eats and by combat, and a skill system lets each skill rise to level 100.^[1]

The world is procedurally generated from a map seed and contains multiple biomes: meadows, the Black Forest, swamps, mountains, plains, oceans, the Mistlands, the Deep North and the Ashlands.^[1] Players travel between biomes on foot or by crafted boats, from rafts to Viking longships.^[1] The game has a day and night cycle, and an in-game raven offers occasional guidance.^[1]

Combat uses one- and two-handed weapons, shields, bows, spears and magic weapons.^[1] The main objective is to defeat eight bosses spread across the biomes by offering specific items at each altar; defeated bosses drop trophies that can be placed at a central altar for power-ups.^[1]

The setting draws on Norse mythology: "Valheim" denotes a fictional tenth world within Yggdrasil, where slain Vikings must prove themselves fit for Valhalla by defeating the evils that stalk the world.^[1]

Major updates have expanded the game since launch. Hearth & Home was released on 16 September 2021, and the Mistlands update followed in December 2022 with a magic system and four magic weapons.^[1] The Ashlands update, launched in May 2024, expanded the magic system with gem crafting and added Fader, the seventh of eight expected final bosses.^[1] A Call to Arms expansion came after Ashlands, updating weapon mechanics and adding a trinket system.^[1]

Reception and sales

Valheim received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to Metacritic, with a PC score of 89/100.^[1][2] On OpenCritic, 86% of critics recommended the game as of 8 September 2026.^[1]

By March 2021, one month after its early access release, Valheim had sold over five million copies and was among the most-played games on Steam.^[1] Engadget reported 5.7 million copies sold in five weeks in March 2021, and sales on Steam passed 10 million copies by July 2022.^[1]

Valheim was nominated for Best Debut Indie Game and Best Multiplayer Game at The Game Awards 2021, and PC Gamer named it its Game of the Year for 2021.^[1] At the Game Developers Choice Awards 2022 it won Best Debut and the Audience Award.^[1]

As of 9 September 2026, 94% of the 259,539 English user reviews on Valheim's Steam page were positive.^[2] The Steam page lists 53 Steam Achievements and tags including Online Co-Op, Singleplayer, Early Access and Open World Survival Craft.^[2]

4:13 The first hour of Valheim 1.0 Recorded on release day, 9 September 2026, showing what a new character does first in the shipped 1.0 build, from the guide's "First Steps of Survival" chapter.^[5]

0:28 What Valheim asks of a new player A spoiler-free guide to the core loop (gather, build, cook and fight a boss) in under twelve minutes, from its first tip, on food.^[6]

0:46 The Deep North announced Iron Gate's own trailer for the final biome and the 1.0 release date, from the first look at the Deep North's snowfields.^[4]

0:28 How to Buy Valheim Chapter of "Do THIS First in Valheim 1.0" by Spopes, showing where to purchase the game.^[5]

1:43 Creating a World in Valheim Chapter of "Do THIS First in Valheim 1.0" by Spopes, covering the world-creation menu in the 1.0 build.^[5]

3:07 Cheats & Mods Chapter of "Do THIS First in Valheim 1.0" by Spopes, addressing cheat options and mod support.^[5]

4:13 First Steps of Survival Chapter of "Do THIS First in Valheim 1.0" by Spopes, covering the opening moves after spawning in.^[5]

4:30 1.) Vegetation Quality Setting Chapter of "Do THIS First in Valheim 1.0" by Spopes, advising on a graphics setting.^[5]

5:07 2.) Watch Out for That Tree Chapter of "Do THIS First in Valheim 1.0" by Spopes, flagging a common hazard for new characters.^[5]

5:53 3.) Corpse Run Chest Chapter of "Do THIS First in Valheim 1.0" by Spopes, showing the corpse-run chest system.^[5]

0:28 Food Chapter of "Valheim 1.0 COMPLETE BEGINNERS GUIDE" by Annarf, covering food and the three resource bars.^[6]

1:47 Exploration Chapter of "Valheim 1.0 COMPLETE BEGINNERS GUIDE" by Annarf, covering exploration across biomes.^[6]

2:54 Crafting & Base Tips Chapter of "Valheim 1.0 COMPLETE BEGINNERS GUIDE" by Annarf, covering crafting and base building.^[6]

5:57 Combat Chapter of "Valheim 1.0 COMPLETE BEGINNERS GUIDE" by Annarf, covering weapons, blocking and combat basics.^[6]

8:32 Skills Chapter of "Valheim 1.0 COMPLETE BEGINNERS GUIDE" by Annarf, covering the skill-level system.^[6]

9:41 Recommended Mods Chapter of "Valheim 1.0 COMPLETE BEGINNERS GUIDE" by Annarf, listing recommended community mods.^[6]

Timeline

1. 2017 Richard Svensson begins work on the project under the working title Fejd.^[1]
2. 2018-06 Valheim enters alpha.^[1]
3. 2021-02-02 Wikipedia contributors record that Valheim enters early access on Steam for Linux and Microsoft Windows.^[1][2]
4. 2021-09-16 The Hearth & Home update is released.^[1]
5. 2021-10-29 The original soundtrack is released by Iron Gate AB.^[1]
6. 2022-12 The Mistlands update is released, adding a magic system and four magic weapons.^[1]
7. 2023-03-14 Valheim is released for Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.^[1]
8. 2024-05 The Ashlands update is released, adding the seventh boss, Fader, and gem-crafting for magic.^[1]
9. 2024-06-10 Valheim is released for macOS.^[1]
10. 2026-06-07 Iron Gate reveals the 1.0 release date in a YouTube trailer.^[3][4]
11. 2026-09-09 Valheim 1.0 ships, alongside PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2 versions, ending about five and a half years of early access.^[1][2][3]