Valheim reveals Ashlands Biome public testing now live
Valheim developer Iron Gate and publisher Coffee Stain has announced the new biome, Ashlands, is entering public testing.
The teams say that this is Valheim’s “deadliest biome yet”, adding “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”. The new weapons can be attuned even further, too, says the developer.
Check out the new gameplay trailer, below:
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.
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!”
If you want to get involved early, you can join the public testing branch.
Valheim is out now for PC early access.
