Players who fell in love withValheim’s cozy, yet challenging, survival sandbox when it launched years ago, and those who have discovered it only recently, can all rejoice in the fact that the game’s long journey in early access is almost over. The upcoming release of the Deep North biome is anticipated to mark the end of the game’s early access period and the beginning ofValheim1.0. That said, there’s still time for some additional updates to be announced prior to the launch of the Deep North, and there is room forValheimto get more new content after its full release.
So far, a release date forValheim’s Deep North biome hasn’t been announced, though many in the community expect the 1.0 update to arrive sometime around late 2025 or early 2026. Until then, players can get an idea of what to expect fromValheim’s epic finale and full release by looking at the handful of features that have already been officially revealed by Iron Gate Studio, at the biomes that already exist, and at the game’s history of updates.
Everything Revealed for Valheim’s Deep North Biome and Full Release
While it hasn’t been announced yet,Valheimmay release on Nintendo Switch and PlayStationplatforms when the 1.0 update arrives, or soon after.
Recent development blogs forValheimhave contained a handful of teasers focused on the Deep North, revealing some of the NPCs and POIs that players can find in the biome. These sneak peeks have shown that the mainland of the Deep North biome will be suspiciously peaceful, while the real threat lies underground in the new Winding Tunnels dungeons, which are filled with enemies like the new Elakings. As the name of the biome suggests, the Deep North will be located at the north end of every map, no matter whatValheimmap seedplayers are on, with modded maps being the exception.
Aside from the sneak previews of the update, players can set their expectations for the Deep North biome based on things the developer has shared in the past. For example,Valheim’s developers have indicated that the early-game transition from the Meadows to the Black Forest biome is considered a benchmark for the progression and difficulty of subsequent biomes, and players can thus expect the Deep North biome to be even more difficult than theValheim’s Ashlands biome. That said, players will have access to the next tier of crafting table upgrades, which will allow them to craft even stronger weapons and armor sets and improve their chances in the Deep North. Still, players shouldn’t underestimate the difficulty spike ofValheim’s final boss and the entirety of the Deep North biome that leads up to it.
Valheim’s 1.0 Update Is Both an End and a New Beginning
While the Deep North biome update is expected to be the end ofValheim’s long journey in early access, that doesn’t mean that the game won’t receive future updates. In fact, it’s already been said thatValheimmight introduce official mod support on PC sometime after the 1.0 release, meaning post-launch updates are highly likely. Additionally,Valheim’s community modsand multiplayer servers will likely continue to grow after the game’s full release arrives. So, regardless of Iron Gate Studios' plans for supporting the game beyond its 1.0 update,Valheimwill be thriving for many years to come, thanks to the game’s active community.
