After over 5 years in development, many big updates and new content, the full release of Valheim is coming in September. MeinMMO editor and leisure Viking Benedict Grothaus got a glimpse of the update at gamescom 2026 and as a self-proclaimed admirer of Norse mythology, his eyes light up.
When Valheim launched in Early Access in February 2024, it catapulted into the top 5 most played games within days – thanks to deadly trees and despite its quirky visuals.
The developers were so surprised by the success that they had to expand the team to meet the new expectations. Five years and tons of updates later, their baby is finally grown up.
On September 9, Valheim 1.0, which many had long considered finished already, will be fully released and Iron Gate, the studio making the game, already showed me what to expect at gamescom. However, the conversation with the devs wandered away from Valheim in many places.
Deep North, old trolls, and a real ending
With version 1.0, Valheim is getting a new biome, the “Deep North,” and here the name really says it all. While the mountains already exist as a cold biome, in the north it’s so cold that everything is frozen, even most enemies – including the biggest of them: Gammeltrolls. “Gammel” is Swedish for “old.” In the north, you will find:
- two new dungeons, one underground with Elakinger (translated:
Rascal
) and one full of Jötunn, the giants from Norse mythology - new enemies like the rotten trolls, frozen dwarves, and seals, which are cute, but whose fat you will also need for new recipes
- Snow. Lots of snow. And yes, you will have to shovel first before you can build in the north
Of course, there will also be a new boss, which I have not been allowed to see yet. What I do know is that Valheim will get a story ending with the release version, and I already know which one – but I can’t reveal it yet.
I will say though that anyone familiar with Norse mythology will surely be satisfied with the conclusion of the story.
However, not only the ending is new, but also the beginning. Valheim has previously brought surprisingly coherent anime trailers and similar cutscenes are now also in the game.
A kudos to the developers’ home and a bestseller from Ikea
What may sound like a nice gimmick to many plays a significant role in the Valheim community: food and cooking. There is now more of that in version 1.0 and the best food you know from your last visit to Ikea.
The Billy bookcase is perhaps the best-selling item of the chain, but someone had the idea to give the furniture store a restaurant as well. There, Köttbullar are among the favorite dishes – and by the way, they pronounce it “Schöttbolle,” which literally translates to simply “meatball.” Sorry, but that triggers me every time.
While talking, the developers revealed to me that Köttbullar will be the best buff food in the game with update 1.0. And they have also brought other Swedish specialties into the game, such as lingonberry cake and juice.
Valheim comes to a full circle, ending where it all began
In conversation with the developers, I had many of the new content explained to me, but the topic often drifted away and we instead talked about Norse mythology – what Valheim was originally built on. Among other things, we discussed the gods and whether and what role they play in the game.
However, since the game has taken a slightly different direction with the Mistlands and Ashlands, Valheim is now returning to its roots with the Deep North. This is shown not only by the Jötunn as enemies or the traditional Swedish dishes but also by numerous details.
For example, there are northern lights in the sky, along with the roots of Yggdrasil, the world ash. In Norse mythology, the Valkyries drag these northern lights like a tail behind them, and similarly, as Valheim already has the god of thunder in the game, I had also hoped for an easter egg here.
Unfortunately, that is (not) in the game yet. However, Senior Artist Lisa Kolfjord has long advocated for this detail and emphasized that I should definitely be listened to regarding the proposal. So maybe we’ll soon see riders with spears and shields in the Valheim sky.
The survival game is finished, but it’s possibly not the end
Overall, the atmosphere of the update moved me even more than the content itself, although I am already an enthusiast of the religion – so definitely biased. Especially the excursion into the halls of the Jötunn and some of the new weapons look very exciting.
Similarly, how Enshrouded in version 1.0 now seems to have finally grown up, I feel that through the focus on the north in Valheim, a long journey has finally come to an end. And it is a beautiful ending, albeit perhaps not a final one.
For the devs have at least not ruled out that DLCs or other content could still come. Nothing is confirmed yet. Nevertheless … I hopefully planted a small seed when I said: Just building, drinking, and fighting in Valhalla would surely be something many players would celebrate. Let’s see.
Gamescom 2026 surprised me with quite a few survival highlights. Not only are two already good games, Valheim and Enshrouded, appearing in full release, but Dune: Awakening also has a lot in store, and my long acquaintance with the Creative Director provided a secret insight: I was the first player to see where Dune: Awakening is heading starting in September
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