Valheim's volcanic Ashlands update gets first proper trailer and breakdown

Valheim, the popular norse-inspired survival game, is set to get even deadlier and at least several percent more volcanic with its upcoming Ashlands biome. The new biome is due to enter public testing as we speak.

Highlights from the update include a new set of ‘flametal weapons’ to wield, imbued with powers like lightning and nature magic. They’ll be new foes, including a nasty looking bone spider thing. The environment itself will also become an enemy, forcing you to contend with fire rain, statistically one of the least desirable and most scientifically confusing rain types there is. Here’s a trailer:

I’ll level with you. I’ve been meaning to play Valheim for years but only managed a couple of hours near release, so I’ve got very little to meaningfully comment on the changes. Instead, I’ll deliver them raw and ungarnished. However, I don’t like the idea of doing a dry news post, so I’m going to interject information about the washing machine malfunction I’m currently dealing with, so that the quoted press release seems incredibly colourful by comparison. Here’s the deets:

“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.”

Enough gunk had got stuck in the drainage pipe that it eventually burst. It took my kitchen floor flooding several times for me to actually check under the sink.

“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 issue was two-fold, really, because of the way water from my kitchen sink also goes through the same system, so it progressed to the point I couldn’t even do the washing up without soaking my feet.

“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.”

Turns out, when the replacement pipe arrived, I didn’t have the right screwdriver to install it. I’m now using a makeshift solution involving ducttape and a giant metal stew pot. I’ll get around to it eventually I’m sure. Would I compare it to the harsh survival conditions faced by those in Valheim? I would, yes. This is my hero's journey, cyclical and tempestuous.

If you'd like a washer-free deeper dive into the Ashlands dev diary, Edwin wrote one a while back.