Valheim (Game Preview) travels to console for the first time today with Xbox Game Pass

Maybe you’ve heard about it Walheim, the viking survival game that has propelled PC gamers into a land of brutal combat, exotic exploration and resource-scarce crafting adventures for the last few years. Since it came to Windows PC with PC Game Pass a few months ago, its community has only grown. Today, Valheim (game preview) is coming to consoles for the first time with Xbox Game Pass, and we had the chance to chat with Iron Gate Studio co-founder Henrik Törnqvist about bringing their surprise megahit to Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, and why now might be the perfect time to sharpen the ax and travel there Walheim.

If a game, especially one as dynamic as Walheim, migrates from PC to console, you can usually expect variations and differences. That won’t be the case here, as Törnqvist tells us about his journey to this new platform.

“We strive to make all versions Walheim as similar as possible and there shouldn’t be any noticeable differences in gameplay,” he explains. “We added an additional controller layout that should be more suited to console gamers.”

While all gameplay remains consistent between PC and Xbox, the console version will also include fidelity mode settings to allow players to choose between quality and performance, or even a more balanced option planned for a future update.

“It was pretty easy to port to Xbox,” says Törnqvist. “The biggest challenge was making sure the network backend was working and finding the right balance of visual settings. There will be different Fidelity modes on the Xbox Series X|S. At release there will be quality (aiming for high-fidelity at 30 FPS) and performance (aiming for 60 FPS). We also intend to add Balanced mode in one of the upcoming patches (aiming at 40 FPS but higher fidelity than performance).”

The world of Walheim is massive and full of dangers with golems, trolls and many other insidious creatures. If that wasn’t enough to keep your ax sharp, each biome is home to a pretty nasty boss – thankfully, you can bring a few friends to help bring it down if it proves too difficult. It’s your decision.

One of Valheims Key features is the option to play solo or with up to 10 players (you and nine others) on player-hosted dedicated servers. Most battles are Player vs. Environment (PvE) with enemies whose difficulty scales, but there is also a Player vs. Player (PvP) duel mode if the option is enabled and players agree to participate.

You may be wondering how Walheim addresses multiplayer on multiple platforms. The good news is that the game supports cross-platform multiplayer and Xbox cloud saves, meaning that whether you’re playing on a Windows PC or console, you can access your saved game files and play with friends or random party members on each platform they play on.

“You only need a password to join any community server,” explains Törnqvist. “Joining friend servers is even easier; You can just select them and join (unless your friend has password protected the server). Walheim fully supports cross-play between platforms as well as dedicated servers (there is a 10-person limit on each server), and saves from worlds and characters are automatically transferred between Xbox and Windows PC.”

Walheim has been available in Early Access on PC for a couple of years, and in that time the player base has grown as the game continues to evolve and evolve. It has received numerous awards including Best Indie Game, Best Multiplayer Game, Most Surprising Game and more. It is highly rated and has an active online community. Contributing to this growth was the game being brought to PC Game Pass a few months ago.

“We feel that we received a very positive reception Walheim to the PC Game Pass … more ways to play is better for everyone!” says Törnqvist. “Probably the biggest benefit is the increase in player count and a better understanding of the network backend, particularly in relation to cross-play, which we’ve never done at Iron Gate before. Microsoft deserves a thank you for helping us with the technical details and giving us the support we needed throughout development.”

With Valheim (game preview) Released today on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, the team is now focused on finalizing development and preparing for the official launch, with Henrik Törnqvist providing one last bit of info on what this means for the future of the game.

“The overarching goal is of course to bring Walheim until the final version, which means we will be adding more biomes to the game. Next on the feature list is the Ashlands biome, so please look forward to scorching lava lands and vicious fire demons (hopefully) later this year!”

School!

Valheim (game preview) is now available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC, as well as with Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass. To learn more about the game, visit the official site and follow @Valheimspiel on twitter.

Valheim (game preview)

coffee stain release

☆☆☆☆☆
284

★★★★★

$19.99

$15.99

PC game pass

Xbox Game Pass

Free trial period

This game is in progress. It may change over time or release as a final product. Buy only if you are satisfied with the current state of the unfinished game. Valheim is a brutal exploration and survival game for 1-10 players set in a procedurally generated world inspired by Norse mythology. Craft powerful weapons, build longhouses and slay mighty enemies to prove yourself to Odin! EXPLORE THE TENTH WORLD Explore a mysterious world. Discover different environments with unique enemies to fight, resources to collect and secrets to uncover! Be a Viking, sail the open seas in search of unknown lands and fight against bloodthirsty monsters. BUILD POWERFUL HALLS Construct Viking longhouses and construct bases that offer protection from the dangers ahead. Customize buildings inside and out with a detailed building system. Progress through building levels to upgrade, expand and defend your base. COLLECT, CRAFT AND SURVIVE Fight for survival as you gather materials and craft weapons, armor, tools, ships and defenses. Decorate your flock and sharpen your blades, grow crops and vegetables, prepare food, brew mead and potions, and progress as you defeat more difficult bosses and discover new recipes and blueprints. KEY FEATURES – Huge procedurally generated world where each biome is immersive and unique, with unique enemies, resources, and crafting recipes to discover. – Play solo or with up to 10 players on player-hosted dedicated servers and experience unlimited world creation and enemies that scale in difficulty. – Endurance-based combat that rewards preparation and skill. Use weapon types with unique attacks, different defense styles, ranged combat, dodges and parries to fight your enemies. – Rewarding food system where you don’t starve and aren’t penalized for not eating, instead you gain health, stamina and regeneration buffs based on what foods you consume. – Intuitive crafting where recipes are discovered as you explore the world and collect new resources and ingredients. – Flexible construction system that takes stability and ventilation into account. Build a small shelter or an entire village, set up outposts or claim abandoned buildings for yourself. Then adjust as you like. – Sailboats and ships to reach distant lands and explore the sea that offers riches to claim and monsters to fight. – Epic boss battles that will test even the most prepared Vikings and offer rewards to help you on your journey. For full details on the current status of the game, how to provide feedback and report issues, visit www.valheim.com.