Spoiler warning: This article contains many details about the Ashlands update – now available to test publicly – that some players may wish to keep a surprise. You have been warned!
For those who have journeyed through Valheim’s biomes, the prospect of facing a gruelling challenge in the upcoming Ashlands update will not be a major shock. Its predecessor, the Mistlands, brought with it formidable foes, steep cliffs and visibility challenges – and with only the Ashlands and Deep North left to conquer in Valheim’s storyline, it’s almost a given that both these biomes will be tough to beat. Yet somewhat alarmingly, the dangers of the Ashlands begin before you’ve even set foot on dry land. As I sail towards the Ashlands in a preview session with Iron Gate lead artist Robin Eyre and senior developer Jonathan Smårs, the sea boils around us, red lightning flashes overhead, and a forest of pointed rocks hamper our progress towards the mainland. Birds mob our ship, and while carefully navigating a narrow passage, a terrifying bone serpent emerges from the deep. “It’s going to be a really difficult, challenging place to go,” Smårs admits. “It’s going to be endgame.”
Our journey is made possible thanks to a heavy-duty boat: a massive ship called the Drakkar, which in typical Valheim fashion, can only be crafted with ingredients acquired from defeating the Mistlands’ final boss. The Drakkar is immune to damage from the boiling water, which regular wooden ships cannot withstand for long before being destroyed. This is a lethal lesson I imagine some curious souls will learn first-hand, should they attempt to reach the Ashlands before they are ready. Unusually for a Valheim biome, the Ashlands does not border any other environments, and can only be accessed by sea. This difficult journey makes reaching the Ashlands a “chapter in itself,” as Smårs explains it, but it also gives this biome a uniquely dangerous feel. There’s no easy way of getting in – and once you arrive, there’s no easy way of getting out.
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