Iron Gate Studio has recently rolled out update 0.218.11 for the Public Test Build of the popular open-world survival game, Valheim. This build, designed for testing upcoming game modifications, received a significant update introducing new landscapes, equipment, enemies, and more.
Released in February 2021 as an early access game, Valheim allows players to delve into a vast open world inspired by Norse mythology, offering a collaborative gaming experience. The game, powered by the Unity engine, has gained immense popularity, achieving a record peak of 500,000 players on Steam, according to data from SteamDB. With ongoing development, Valheim consistently receives updates, with recent content additions from the highly anticipated Ashlands now available in its Public Test Build.
Following the debut of the Ashlands update on the beta platform, Valheim's Public Test Build received patch 0.218.11 on April 24. This update included various balancing adjustments in the Ashlands, along with bug fixes and optimizations. Notable elements affected by this patch were the new Drakkar ship type and the Charred Warriors featured in the Ashlands update trailer.
While the official release date for the Ashlands update in Valheim's main build remains unconfirmed, Iron Gate Studio previously indicated in a January blog post that they aimed to launch the update in the first half of 2024. Players eager to explore the new Ashlands content can access it through Valheim's Public Test branch. However, testers should be prepared for encountering bugs and other issues while using the beta client.
The Mistlands update, which introduced a new biome, was the last major update before the Ashlands, arriving in December 2022. Nearly a year later, in August 2023, Iron Gate Studio released another significant update named Hildir's Request, adding the NPC merchant Hildir and a range of fresh content. Despite its growth since the early access launch, Valheim still has several features to introduce before being considered a complete game by many.
Players seeking experiences similar to Valheim while awaiting further development can explore other cooperative survival games with expansive open worlds or venture into open-world titles that emphasize exploration.
Valheim Public Test Update 0.218.11 Patch Notes
Summary of Patch Notes:
- Various game balancing adjustments in the Ashlands
- Multiple bug fixes and optimizations
Detailed Patch Notes:
- Resolved issues causing the Drakkar ship to become stuck
- Corrected a balance problem leading to excessive enemy attraction due to trees catching fire
- Charred Warriors no longer appear underwater
- Balancing adjustments to Fader's attacks
- Portals now reconnect smoothly after name changes
- Adjusted collider to prevent rugs from clipping into Grausten floor pieces
- Improved alignment of Ashwood walls with 26 and 45-degree angles
- Cooking stations are now fireproof
- Building pieces no longer catch fire before placement
- Updated armor and weapon recipes in the Ashlands to require correct workbench levels
- Summoned Trolls can now spawn cinders occasionally
- Summoned Trolls are now immune to fire damage
- Visual enhancements to Dyrnwyn, Bone Fragments, and Ashen Cape
- Rectified missing text strings
- Compiler optimizations for Xbox
- Sulfur now produces correct sounds when collected
- Resolved a performance issue related to numerous damage numbers
- Addressed an unnecessary increase in download size
- Modding: IMonoUpdater no longer requires inheritance, and error messages have been eliminated