Valheim's Most Challenging Biome Yet Enters Public Testing

Valheim's second-to-last biome the Ashlands has now entered public testing, bringing the game one step closer to its full "1.0" release. The new biome is a charred environment full of cursed undead, which introduces new materials and items, including a brand-new siege mechanic.

As has been the case with every new biome Valheim has released so far, the Ashlands is by far the deadliest yet, introducing new threats and deadly creatures that inhabit the land, air, and sea. Players will have to be at the top of their game to build a base in the Ashlands and explore it for the new materials Ashwood and Grausten stone. These items will unlock new build pieces that can help fortify their buildings, as well as new aesthetic options for keen builders.

While Valheim has long seen hordes of creatures attacking player settlements in random events, now the game is tasking players with setting siege to enemy fortresses. The Ashlands update introduces new siege weapons including catapults and battering rams with which players can lay siege to heavily defended Charred fortresses.

It's not just the Ashlands' inhabitants that are dangerous, but also the terrain itself, with fiery rain threatening to light up wooden structures, and rivers of lava impeding progress. Don't sweat if you're not ready to face the new biome yet, as the Ashlands will only be discovered on islands separated from other biomes by sea.

"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," said Valheim producer Andreas Tomasson in a press release. "We will of course keep an eye out on how public testing goes, and make sure that it’s not unfair!"

Ashlands is not in full release yet, but players keen to check it out can opt into Valheim's public test branch by going into the game's properties menu on Steam, selecting Betas, and typing in the code "yesimadebackups" to unlock the public test branch option.

Valheim is still in early access, but is rapidly approaching its full release as more biomes and new features are added to the game. The last biome released before Ashlands was the Mistlands, and the final one yet to be released will be the frozen Deep North.