The survival MMO Valheim received its first major content update Hearth & Home on September 16. This update includes many small but also some larger changes – primarily new building components and recipes. The community has been requesting a new extension for the base since release, but certainly no one expected this implementation.
Why a trash can?! Valheim constantly rewards you with various items. Many of these are available in large quantities, without you ever needing them on a larger scale. Resin, for example, floods your inventory.
Since inventory space is limited and items are automatically picked up, it can quickly lead to overloading. The big problem is: Items cannot be permanently discarded.
You can remove them from the inventory and then delete them using developer commands, but if you are not the admin of the server, the stuff just lies around permanently. Fans have partially built “dump sites” and have long demanded a proper trash can.
Exactly this trash can now exists, but in a much better form than many expected.
Spoiler alert: You are seeing one of the new features of Hearth & Home here. Some fans prefer to explore everything themselves – we explain the complete process here and show what the feature looks like.
The thunder god Thor as a personal trash can
How do I build the trash can? The new object is called “Destructor” and you can find it in the crafting tab when you have selected the building hammer. To craft it, you will need:
- 8x Iron
- 4x Copper
- 1x Thunderstone
- a forge
You can get Thunderstones from the trader Haldor in exchange for 50 coins. The forge must be nearby for you to be able to build the Destructor at all. We will let you know how to get Copper and Iron in our ore guide.
And how do I use it? Once you have set up the Destructor, you can open a flap at the top of the object. You then have 24 inventory slots to place your unwanted items.
Pulling the lever on the Destructor initially does nothing. Then suddenly a lightning bolt comes from the sky and strikes the long antenna on the top part of the device. Everything that is currently in the Destructor is destroyed – but not completely.
For every 10 items, you receive a piece of coal with the note that it is a gift from Thor, the Norse god of thunder. Thor himself ensures that you have more space in your inventory!
Some Vikings have already seen Thor in-game, but only during severe thunderstorms and then in his chariot in the sky. Now he directly supports you. However, Thor “glares” at you when you simply pull the lever without reason … and you get a hefty shock if you stand too close to the impact.
Hearth & Home fulfills wishes but remains lean
What else is in the update? The Destructor is not the only new recipe in the new update. New content includes with Hearth & Home:
- a bathtub for your base
- an oven, as well as new extensions for the cooking pot
- at least 9 new cooking recipes
- some new tools and equipment
- new building components, including an inverted corner that fans have long requested
With the new Lox saddle, you can now even ride tamed Lox. The food and combat systems have also been revised, food now provides more specific buffs, and shields have been buffed. You can find more about the update in our hub: All about the Hearth & Home update.
By the way, the development team advises starting fresh with Valheim in a new world. This way, you get the full experience and do not spoil anything for yourself.
What’s next? Hearth & Home is only the first major update and the developers have already warned that you should not expect too many new contents. The update mainly focuses on polishing and fixing bugs.
Once Valheim is the “best Valheim” it can be, new content like bosses or new biomes will come. At least three more content updates are already known, the next of which will be called “Cult of the Wolf”.
The development may take some time, but the developers are realizing their vision for the game. Something that large studios should also dare to do, finds MeinMMO author Benedict Grothaus:
2 “small” indie games on Steam are doing one thing much better than the big AAA titles
