Greetings vikings!

This week it’s time for both Midsummer and the summer solstice, which has long since been a cause for celebration here in the north! Just like last year, you can celebrate in Valheim by building your own Maypole (or Midsummer pole, as we call them in Sweden). This year we’ve also added a flower crown, and some more colourful banners, to make the summer even more festive. We hope you’ll have some fun with it!



As we added the new items, we also updated the game with the Steam Cloud save fix that we have mentioned in previous blog posts. Hopefully this should mean a smoother game experience for all of you, and we want to thank everyone who helped test the update in the Public Test branch!

Last week we revealed that Valheim will be coming to the Microsoft store as well as Xbox and will feature full crossplay support with Steam players. These ports are being handled by two external teams, while we here at Iron Gate keep focusing on the Mistlands update.

And speaking of the Mistlands! For the teasers this week, we thought we’d share something that’s also a bit summer themed. We don’t want the Mistlands update to only be about the Mistlands – we also want there to be some new content in the earlier gameplay leading up to the new biome. A significant such addition will be an upgrade to the fish; there will be new types, they’ll come in different sizes, and you’ll be able to mount your most impressive catches on item stands! While they’re still swimming the fish will also jump above the surface, to give it all an even more atmospheric touch.



Last time we showed some concept art of the forge which will be a part of the Mistlands update. Many speculated about what it might be made of, and what you might create with it, and it’s a lot of fun to read your theories! Just to get you to speculate a bit further, we thought we’d share a screenshot of how the model looks now that it’s implemented into the game:



And last, but certainly not least, we would like to show you one of the creatures you can encounter in the Mistlands. Ticks are quite a common summer occurrence in Sweden, after all, though thankfully they don’t quite reach this size…



This month, we have chosen a creation made by Gamerrockz22. Sometimes smaller buildings can be just as impressive as grand castles! If you’d like a chance to have your building featured here, just use the hashtag #ValheimBotM on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. You can check out previous winners in this thread here on Steam.



Have a wonderful summer!

The Iron Gate team

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Yet another hotfix, fixes issue with world creation caused by the steam cloud-save overhaul.

Again, sorry if this caused issues for some of you.

Dedicated-server world loading fix.

This patch fixes the world load issue introduced in 0.209.8, causing dedicated servers to fail to load worlds saved in the now legacy “worlds/” directory (and instead creating a new empty world)

Unfortunately if you already got a world-reset caused by this, try removing the broken world from "worlds_local/" (but don’t touch “worlds/” ). This will make the server load the original working world from “worlds/” instead.

We're really sorry about this, thank you for being understanding!

This patch features a couple of new things, but most importantly it fixes some issues regarding Steam Cloud saves. You as a player should not need to do anything, and the saves should be moved automatically. However, for this patch we do advise people to make backups of your saves, just in case.

The bug with Steam Cloud saves would cause players to lose progress if they were playing on multiple accounts on the same PC. To solve this, we have done some changes to how the game saves:

From now on cloud saves are saved under the Steam userdata folder. Local save files for dedicated servers and multi account machines will be stored in a new “_local” folder next to the old save file location, and the old save file location will still be there but nothing new will be saved there. You will be able to see which characters and worlds are located on the Cloud and which ones are locally stored or not yet moved out of the old folders. When starting a local save with Cloud saves enabled in Steam, the file will be moved to the Steam Cloud and a local backup will be kept. Dedicated servers will still only use the local folder though, as this can be started outside of your steam login.

If you have any issues or questions regarding this change, please see our FAQ on the topic, and don't hesitate to contact us on Discord.

Since it’s almost Midsummer, we’ve also added some festive new content for you!



New Content:
* Maypole now enabled in the building menu
* Flower crowns!
* New banner colours (Orange, white, yellow and purple)

Fixes & Improvements:
* Unity updated to version 2020.3.33 (should reduce crashes!)
* Tamed animals now follow the player into Haldor’s forcefield
* Tweaks to Yagluth’s hair so it no longer flies around in the air
* Console command exclusivefullscreen is now toggleable
* Mods can now set an isModded flag to let players and our support know the game is modded
* Inventory keyboard UI hint fixed
* Console server command 'recall’ added (teleports other players to your position)

Steam Cloud:
* Cloud save files will now be stored in Steam/[YourIDNumber]/892970 instead of AppData
* Local files will now be stored in “worlds_local” and “characters_local” under AppData and no longer be synced to cloud to avoid sync conflicts and dataloss when using multiple accounts on the same machine, and when using dedicated servers.
* Files still in the old file structure will be moved to the Steam Cloud or new local folder when used and a backup will be kept
* Worlds’ save files can now be renamed and will load correctly
* Large worlds (300mb or bigger) should now sync correctly
* Maximum Cloud storage for Valheim has increased greatly, thanks Valve!

This update is for the Public Test branch of Valheim, and may therefore be unstable. Before we launch this update to the Default version of the game, we want to make sure to have a chance to discover bugs and adjust the balancing, to give you the best game experience possible.
Access the Public Test branch by right clicking Valheim in your Steam library, and 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 choose from.
Please leave any feedback you may have in the appropriate channel in our Discord, or in the subforum here on Steam.
As always, remember to be considerate towards players not partaking in the Public Test, in case they want to avoid spoilers.
As the password indicates, please make sure to make backups of your save files before playing.

This patch features a couple of new things, but most importantly it fixes some issues regarding Steam Cloud saves. You as a player should not need to do anything, and the saves should be moved automatically. However, for this patch we do advise people to make backups of your saves, just in case.

The bug with Steam Cloud saves would cause players to lose progress if they were playing on multiple accounts on the same PC. To solve this, we have done some changes to how the game saves:

From now on cloud saves are saved under the Steam userdata folder. Local save files for dedicated servers and multi account machines will be stored in a new “_local” folder next to the old save file location, and the old save file location will still be there but nothing new will be saved there. You will be able to see which characters and worlds are located on the Cloud and which ones are locally stored or not yet moved out of the old folders. When starting a local save with Cloud saves enabled in Steam, the file will be moved to the Steam Cloud and a local backup will be kept. Dedicated servers will still only use the local folder though, as this can be started outside of your steam login.

If you have any issues or questions regarding this change, please see our FAQ on the topic, and don't hesitate to contact us on Discord.

Since it’s almost Midsummer, we’ve also added some festive new content for you!



New Content:
* Maypole now enabled in the building menu
* Flower crowns!
* New banner colours (Orange, white, yellow and purple)

Fixes & Improvements:
* Unity updated to version 2020.3.33 (should reduce crashes!)
* Tamed animals now follow the player into Haldor’s forcefield
* Tweaks to Yagluth’s hair so it no longer flies around in the air
* Console command exclusivefullscreen is now toggleable
* Mods can now set an isModded flag to let players and our support know the game is modded

Steam Cloud:
* Cloud save files will now be stored in Steam/[YourIDNumber]/892970 instead of AppData
* Local files will now be stored in “worlds_local” and “characters_local” under AppData and no longer be synced to cloud to avoid sync conflicts and dataloss when using multiple accounts on the same machine, and when using dedicated servers.
* Files still in the old file structure will be moved to the Steam Cloud or new local folder when used and a backup will be kept
* Worlds’ save files can now be renamed and will load correctly
* Large worlds (300mb or bigger) should now sync correctly
* Maximum Cloud storage for Valheim has increased greatly, thanks Valve!

Hello vikings!

It was a lot of fun to see your response to the constructions we showed off last time – it seems many of you are looking forward to seeing them in the game! If you’ve been paying attention to Twitter in the past few weeks you might have also seen a couple of additional teasers, some more revealing than others, as individual developers have hinted at what they’re working with. Something you definitely don’t want to miss is the big trap that Jonathan showed some work-in-progress footage of last week, which will also feature in the Mistlands update. It’ll be great for catching enemies, but you’d best be careful and watch where you’re stepping too!



Meanwhile in the office, we have acquired some weapon and shield props (the shields being the real deal, but the weapons not so much) to have both as general inspiration but also to help us with making even cooler attack animations in the future. And most importantly, they make Valheim creator Richard feel like a badass:



But on to the teasers we know you are all waiting for! This month we’d like to share with you a piece of concept art of a new crafting station which you will need to craft many of the Mistlands tier weapons. After all, a regular forge can only get you so far, and to battle what you’ll find in the Mistlands you’ll need something with…a little extra.



It has also been far too long since there were any new fungi for you to discover! Other than the regular red mushrooms in the Meadows and the glowing Yellow mushrooms found in the Black Forest, you will soon be able to cook with a couple of Mistlands variants as well. Exactly what recipes they will be used for we’ll keep to ourselves for a bit longer, but here you have a first look at what shape and colours the mushrooms themselves might have:



Last time we mentioned a patch which will resolve some issues with the cloud sync. This is still in the works, though we also want to include an update of the game engine before we invite you all to test it. We feel this is an important thing to get done before releasing the Mistlands, as it should result in a smoother experience for everyone. Rest assured though, that this technical patch is not taking any significant development time away from the biome!

This month it was exceptionally hard to select a build to share here, as there were just so many good ones! Finally we managed to settle on this longhouse that Eriandhor posted, and we hope that you can agree that it was a worthy choice! If you would like your own building to be shared in the next blog post, simply use the hashtag #ValheimBotM when posting on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.



May your axes stay sharp!

The Iron Gate team


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Welcome back, vikings! Spring is well under way, and we’ve put Easter behind us. If you keep up with our social media, you might have noticed that we shared a little special something during the holiday – a speed modelling video of the hare creature we showed a concept artwork of a while back, now complete with a glimpse at how it will look when it moves around in the world! If you haven’t seen it yet, you can watch it here:



Don’t worry though, the hare will be in the Mistlands all year round, not just during Easter! Aside from the hare, we’ve also been working on creating another kind of inhabitants for the Mistlands, though we’d like to keep them a surprise for you for a little longer. What we can say, however, is that we think they’ll be something many of you have been curious about!

Just like the other areas of Valheim, the Mistlands were once a place where civilisations of old built homes and strongholds alike. In the past month we have been finalising the designs of these structures and we quite like how they fit in the world! They might change somewhat as they still need to be weathered and turned into ruins to show just how long they’ve been standing, but here are a couple of screenshots for you:





On a more technical note, we’ve also been looking into a solution for a cloud sync issue where players have gotten their saves overwritten and replaced with earlier versions. Losing progress is always very unfortunate, so getting this fixed is something we’ve been keen on and really want to get right! Just like with other updates to the game lately, this patch will come to the Public Test branch before we push it to the Default version of the game, so keep an eye out for that if you want to help testing it!


And for the Build of the Month, it was a tough choice but we have decided on this creation by Vainotheviking! Great work! If you would like your own building to be shared in the next blog post, simply use the hashtag #ValheimBotM when posting on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.



That’s all for now!

The Iron Gate team


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For this patch we’ve gone over some bugs and issues to simply make your gameplay experience a bit smoother! This for example includes automatically stacking your items when you reclaim your tombstone, and reminding the trolls that they should in fact get staggered. Not so fun for them, but fun for you!



* Fixed a bug where trolls would not get staggered correctly sometimes
* Map key legend fixes and remove map icon gamepad mapping set to LB
* Various small fixes to Frost Cave rooms
* Fixed a bug related to pausing after being in debugmode and changing server
* Upgrade function will now remember the selected object when upgrading
* Fixed a bug where the split stack number sometimes would not be visible on high resolutions
* Fixed a bug where sometimes smelters would not always use the correct amount of coal
* Fixed some items not being covered in snow
* Hotbar selection marker now more visible on light backgrounds when using gamepad
* The ‘resetsharedmap’ console command added and various devcommands improvements
* Buying items from the trader on gamepad no longer buys twice, plus some interface tweaks
* Keyboard & gamepad hints for inventory screen
* Picking up your tombstone will now try to stack items
* Fixed an issue where tombstones sometimes would be unreachable in Swamp trees

This update is for the Public Test branch of Valheim, and may therefore be unstable. Before we launch this update to the Default version of the game, we want to make sure to have a chance to discover bugs and adjust the balancing, to give you the best game experience possible.
Access the Public Test branch by right clicking Valheim in your Steam library, and 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 choose from.
Please leave any feedback you may have in the appropriate channel in our Discord, or in the subforum here on Steam.
As always, remember to be considerate towards players not partaking in the Public Test, in case they want to avoid spoilers.
As the password indicates, please make sure to make backups of your save files before playing.


For this patch we’ve gone over some bugs and issues to simply make your gameplay experience a bit smoother! This for example includes automatically stacking your items when you reclaim your tombstone, and reminding the trolls that they should in fact get staggered. Not so fun for them, but fun for you!



* Fixed a bug where trolls would not get staggered correctly sometimes
* Map key legend fixes and remove map icon gamepad mapping set to LB
* Various small fixes to Frost Cave rooms
* Fixed a bug related to pausing after being in debugmode and changing server
* Upgrade function will now remember the selected object when upgrading
* Fixed a bug where the split stack number sometimes would not be visible on high resolutions
* Fixed a bug where sometimes smelters would not always use the correct amount of coal
* Fixed some items not being covered in snow
* Hotbar selection marker now more visible on light backgrounds when using gamepad
* The ‘resetsharedmap’ console command added and various devcommands improvements
* Buying items from the trader on gamepad no longer buys twice, plus some interface tweaks
* Keyboard & gamepad hints for inventory screen
* Picking up your tombstone will now try to stack items
* Fixed an issue where tombstones sometimes would be unreachable in Swamp trees

First of all, thank you so much to everyone who voted for Valheim in the GDCA Audience Awards! We managed to win both that and the Best Debut category, which we found out just this week. It’s such an honour, and it really means a lot to us.

But now, on to the blog:

Spring is finally beginning to make itself known in our part of the world, which is always a welcome sight after the long and dark winter. If you can’t get enough of the cold however, you can always venture into the Frost Caves of Valheim, which we released a couple of weeks ago. It’s been an absolute joy for us to read the stories you have shared of your adventures in these new parts of the game!

In the beginning of March the Steam Decks also began to roll out to players. By now, we’re happy to say that Valheim has gotten a full compatibility verification:



Aside from that, the team is fully focused on creating the Mistlands. New creatures are given life, dungeons are being planned out, and weapons are being crafted. Designing a new biome is a large undertaking, with many pieces that need to slot together before it can become the complete experience it needs to be, and it will require a lot of iterations and testing before it’s done. The biome is quite some time away still, but we are excited for it and we believe the result will be well worth the wait! Until then, here’s a piece of concept art we’d like to share with you:



Some things in the Mistlands will also definitely be useful in other biomes, as you might have guessed when Richard teased a new weapon on Twitter a few weeks ago. Today we present a clearer image:



We also posted a speed modelling video where we showed off the creation of a bow which will also be part of the new arsenal. Can you guess what it will be called?



Keep in mind that these things might look a bit different when the update comes out, as these are not the final versions.

This month, we have chosen a build created by Versaugh as our Build of the Month! Isn’t it nice? If you want to have the chance to have your building skills displayed in our next blog post, simply use the hashtag #ValheimBotM when posting on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.



Until next time, skål!

The Iron Gate team

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