Since it first launched around four years ago in February 2021, Valheim has had quite a long journey in early access. Countless updates have brought improvements and new content to the game, notably including new biomes to explore and bosses to conquer. Even though Valheim’s journey in early access isn’t over yet with the Deep North biome update still in the works, players who haven’t yet experienced some of the game’s latest updates might be surprised to see how much has changed.
While Valheim’s full release after its long journey in early access will naturally be a great time to jump back into the game or to experience it for the first time, recent updates have added tons of new content and gameplay improvements that are well-worth visiting in the meantime. With the added luxury of popular community servers and PC mods for Valheim readily available, 2025 is arguably a perfect time to start a fresh playthrough of Valheim to experience all the improvements and changes that have been added over the years throughout its early access.
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Why Players Should Consider Revisiting Valheim’s Early Access in 2025
Between its stylish visuals, challenging combat, and satisfying base-building mechanics, it’s no surprise that Valheim was a hit among survival-crafting games when it first entered early access on PC, and then found similar success when it came to last-gen and current-gen Xbox platforms. Since then, Valheim has continued its journey through early access with countless updates, and players who initially fell in love with the game on its debut might be delightfully surprised to see how far the game has come in the past few years.
The Biggest Changes to Valheim Throughout Early Access So Far
- Combat and food system overhauls
- Mistlands and Ashlands biomes have been added, offering additional stages of loot progression and culminating in new bosses
- New Trader NPC Hildir
- New Eitr resource for using magic weapons
- New buildable objects and crafting stations
- New player skills
- World/server difficulty modifiers
- Various QoL features
Start Preparing for Valheim’s Final Deep North Biome Update With a New Playthrough
Especially for players who are already planning on jumping into what is expected to be the new hardest biome in Valheim when it releases, starting a new playthrough in 2025 will help prepare players to take on the upcoming Deep North biome. Given that core gameplay systems like combat and food buffs have been reworked throughout early access, it’s arguably best to experience these changes naturally on a new playthrough, instead of returning to an existing playthrough and being overwhelmed by some of these changes.
Valheim’s Public Servers and PC Mods Enhance Replayability
Another reason why players might want to start over instead of returning to an existing playthrough is to experience the game on an active server, potentially playing with new people and/or new mods. Valheim’s community servers are still thriving, giving players plentiful options for co-op and PvP multiplayer. Additionally, there are countless game-changing mods available for Valheim by now that can range from subtle cosmetic changes to entirely new features, allowing for a more customizable and accessible experience than ever before.
Although Valheim’s full release is presumably not too far away at this point, players should arguably consider revisiting the game while it’s still in early access in 2025. Given how much the game has changed throughout recent updates, and how much PC mods and community servers can further enhance the experience, starting over with a new playthrough in Valheim can be the perfect way to prepare for the upcoming full release, meanwhile making the wait much more enjoyable.
- Released
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February 2, 2021
- ESRB
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r
- Developer(s)
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Iron Gate AB