Valheim Reveals Upcoming ‘Ashlands’ Biome as Public Testing Goes Live

The hit viking survival game receives its hottest biome yet as Ashlands ushers in a scorching new environment, relentless enemy onslaughts, and sieges.

Watch the official gameplay trailer here.

SKÖVDE, Sweden – April 22nd 2024: Coffee Stain and Iron Gate are excited to reveal that Ashlands, Valheim’s latest biome update, is entering public testing. Chock full of charred denizens cursed to live in undeath, the Ashlands is Valheim’s most challenging environment yet where Vikings will have to fight tooth and nail for every inch of territory as they struggle to get a foothold.

A ‘Warm’ Welcome
The Ashlands is set to be Valheim’s deadliest biome yet. From initially landing on its fiery shores to setting up a base and taking on the fiery onslaught, players will have to utilise a new set of flametal weapons that can be further enhanced with precious gems that alter their properties. From striking foes with lightning to channelling nature magics, these new weapons can be further attuned, expanding player choice.

There will be plenty of new foes to tackle with these tools of destruction, too. Creatures of land, air and sea inhabit the Ashlands, and players will have to be on their guard as the biome itself becomes a threat, with fire raining down on Vikings and structures alike.

As with every major biome update, the Ashlands will also bring an array of new building pieces to further reinforce settlements, as well as expand the cosmetic options that building enthusiasts have available. Ashwood can now be used to build new structures, as well as the ancient Grausten stone that can be salvaged from the ruins scattered throughout the charred lands.

Time for Ballistic Warfare
In order to track down the entity that commands the armies of Charred in the Ashlands, Vikings will have to tackle a whole new combat challenge in the form of sieges that take place directly in Valheim’s open world. The Charred forces are entrenched, and their fortresses cannot be simply raided and put to torch - tall black walls surround their bases, equipped with ballistas and manned by cohorts of undead soldiers and mages raining fire upon their foes.

The Charred’s power can only be matched by dvergr ingenuity - in the Ashlands, players will gain access to siege weapons in the form of catapults and battering rams which they will need to protect and operate in order to breach the fortresses and vanquish the evil that awaits within.

“The Ashlands mark a significant milestone as the last major update before our final batch of content when the game reaches 1.0,” said Andreas Tomasson, Valheim producer. “We’re anticipating players will be surprised by how difficult it is at first, but that’s what Valheim is all about - challenging and often brutal exploration and survival. We will of course keep an eye out on how public testing goes, and make sure that it’s not unfair!”

Set to be Valheim’s most challenging update yet, the Ashlands lie in wait for Vikings to conquer. Players who are eager to lay siege to the new biome before its official release can participate in the public testing branch. You can find the official Ashlands visual assets here.

Valheim is available on Microsoft Store and PC Game Pass and on Steam Early Access for PC, Xbox and Linux. You can find the official press kit here, and follow Valheim on Twitter and Discord.