If you were hoping for an update for Valheim, you’re not alone. The Valheim Ashlands update is here and below I will tell you how you can play it.
What is Valheim’s Ashlands update?
It’s been a while since we’ve received a major Valheim update, until April 22, when the Ashlands update was released in the Valheim public beta. This new update includes a completely new biome called Ashlands.
The biome is one of the penultimate realms in the game and brings with it a lot of difficult enemies and endgame content. As such, if you haven’t played in a while or are just starting your Valheim experience, you may not want to start right away. We’ve included a summary of what’s included in the Ashlands update below.
Valheim Ashlands Patch Notes
- New biome: Ashlands
- More than 30 new weapons
- New bombs and ammunition.
- 3 new armor sets
- 2 new layers
- More than 10 new creatures
- More than 70 new elements to build
- 5 new crafting station upgrades
- Over 30 new crafting materials
- More than 15 new foods and potions
- New locations
- New music
- New events
- New mechanics
- Fixed Mead Materials
- Standardized texts throughout the game.
Related: Valheim Weapon Tier List (2024)
Steps to play the Valheim Ashlands update
The Valheim Ashlands update is currently undergoing public testing before its release in the real version of the game. However, you can still access and play the update regardless of the platform you are using to play Valheim.
How to play the Valheim Ashlands update on Steam and Game Pass
- Steam
- Right click on Valheim in your Steam library and head to properties
- Click betas on the left side of the box.
- In the private betas box, type yesimadebackups
- after hitting Verification codeclick on the beta participation dropdown and choose the Ashlands upgrade
Once you have completed this step, Steam will automatically begin downloading an update for Valheim. Once the download is complete, you will be able to launch the game and explore the new Ashlands update.
- game pass
- Install the Xbox Insider Center Microsoft Store app
- After signing in with your Xbox account, press the previews section
- Find the Valheim public test and join it
- Click open via Xbox app and it will launch itself
Once you access the Xbox app and finish the installation, you can launch the game to access the Valheim Ashlands update.
How to prepare for the Valheim Ashlands update
Before you enter the game to play Ashlands, you should keep in mind that it is an endgame area. Progression from previous biomes is required to create new items or recipes, such as the item The Queen drops in Mistlands. Therefore, I recommend playing the rest of the game before venturing into Ashlands.
It’s also worth noting that new content and terrain only spawn in areas you haven’t explored before. So if you’ve already explored the Ashlands biome and don’t notice the new content appearing, you need to start a new game.
One more thing to note is that, as with every new update to a game, most mods do not yet work with Ashlands and will most likely take some time to become compatible again. If you are someone who can’t play without mods, I suggest you wait a bit.
For more information on Valheim, be sure to check out All Valheim Cheat Codes, Commands, and Item Lists and How to Create and Use a Galdr Table in Valheim here on Pro Gaming Guides.