Clear the snow before you build: Valheim 1.0 opens the Deep North

September 12, 2026, Source: Iron Gate

Iron Gate took Valheim out of Early Access with the 1.0 release on September 9, adding the Deep North biome and more than 40 new weapons. Early Access owners do not need to buy it again. As of the September 11 hotfix post, crossplay between Switch 2 and other platforms is not supported.

One new biome, more than 40 new weapons, more than 10 new creatures. That is part of the abbreviated patch notes Iron Gate published with Valheim 1.0 on September 9 [1]. Valheim is a co-op exploration and survival game for one to ten players, set in a procedurally generated afterlife inspired by Viking culture, and 1.0 moves it from Early Access to a full release [2][3].

The Steam charts moved as well. On Valve's most-played games list, checked on September 12, Valheim was in seventh place, with a last-week rank of 101 and a peak of 217,966 concurrent players [6]. Everything here is as of September 12, 2026.

The snow comes off before the walls go up

Snow lies thick and deep in the new Deep North biome, and it has to be cleared before you can build. The notes also warn players to watch their step on frozen seas and ponds [1]. The Jotun have begun their invasion, and the job is to head out and halt their advance. A new grappling hook helps with heights, and travelling to the outer edges of the world can turn up alternate versions of earlier biomes [1].

Moose can now be tamed and ridden, and a new boss, Kall Fimbulbringer, has been added [1]. Gear grows by four armour sets, two capes and two trinkets, alongside more than 30 new crafting materials, more than 20 new foods and more than 80 new buildable pieces [1]. The trader Haldor offers inventory upgrades, and achievements appear in the game for the first time [1].

Out on Switch 2, but cut off from crossplay

From 1.0, Valheim is sold on Steam for Windows, Linux and Mac, the Mac App Store, the Humble Store, the Microsoft Store, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, now joined by PS5 and Switch 2 [3][5]. The developer has promised crossplay between every platform [3].

A note added to the September 11 hotfix post changes that for now. Because of an unforeseen issue, the patch could not be uploaded to Switch 2, which means crossplay between Switch 2 and other platforms is currently unsupported [4]. On Steam, choosing the "default_old" version in the game's properties restores play with Switch 2, but you then play without the hotfix fixes. The post says there is currently no workaround for PS5 or Xbox players who want to play with Switch 2 [4].

No second purchase, and your saves stay put

The price was reset for the full release. The FAQ puts it at $29.99, with possible regional differences [3], and the US Steam store listed it at $29.99 on September 12 [2].

Anyone who bought during Early Access does not need to buy again; their copy simply updates to the new version. Old saves stay where they were and can still be played. Existing worlds receive the new content, but the FAQ explains that biome generation only works properly in areas not yet explored, and the developer recommends starting over [3].

Mods have no official support, so there is no guarantee they work in 1.0, and there is no console mod support or Steam Workshop [3]. Characters and worlds that used cheat commands are locked out of achievements, although the Steam-only 1.0.12 hotfix on September 11 added a command to opt back in [3][4].

Achievement tracking starts from the moment 1.0 is downloaded. By the FAQ's own example, a player who killed Eikthyr 500 times before still has to kill him again for that achievement [3].