Set within a mysterious purgatory-like Norse world, Valheim sees fallen Vikings surviving and becoming strong enough to vanquish its many evils. Newbon’s voiceover teases that these entities existed long before the Vikings arrived, and we could learn more about their origins in subsequent updates.

The big question is whether Valheim will exit early access to coincide with the PS5 version. It’s seen extensive support and four big content updates over the years, from Hearth and Home expanding on the base-building and food mechanics to Mistlands and Ashlands, which added new biomes, enemies, and more.

The latest update, Call to Arms, overhauled combat while adding even more content. Stay tuned for more details on other features in the coming months.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl

Developer GSC Game World brought the S.T.A.L.K.E.R series back into the limelight with the recently released Heart of Chornobyl, which undoubtedly represents the peak of the series. It takes what worked in prior entries, and creates something that’s bigger and better in almost every way. It blends a modern gameplay framework with the brutal survival mechanics of past entries, and that culminates in an experience that’s sure to stay with you long after the credits roll.

Valheim‘s latest update brings with it a host of new content, including the eponymous Ashlands biome. There are also now more than 30 new weapons for players to craft and find, new bombs and ammunitions, new armour sets, more than 10 new creatures to fight, and over 70 new buildable items. For more details, check out the complete patch notes below.

Alongside all of the new content, Ashlands also brings with it a variety of fixes and improvements to Valheim, including fixes for Major Healing Mead material, Minor Eitr Mead material, and bringing standardised texts throughout the game.

The Xbox One version of Valheim also got an improvement in the form of ESRAM usage being disabled to prevent an engine-related bug from taking place. This means that Xbox One players won’t suffer from corrupted particle systems.

Patch notes for Valheim: Ashlands update:

New content:

Mechanics:

• Beware the skies! Cinders rain down from above in the Ashlands, causing damage to those who are unprotected
• Wooden build pieces can now catch fire in the Ashlands – and the fire spreads!
• A new world modifier that allows fire to spread outside of the Ashlands as well (part of the immersive preset)
• Deadly lava takes up large parts of the landscape; traverse it with your very own platforms
• Lay claim to Charred Fortresses with two new Siege Machines
• New plantable Ashvines will grow on the walls of your base
• Combine your Flametal weapons with gems (Bloodstone, Iolite & Jade) in order to upgrade them to magical weapons (giving them blood, storm and nature based effects respectively)
• The waters in and around the Ashlands are boiling hot, and only the sturdiest of ships can sail them

Creatures:

• Enemy: Fallen Valkyrie
• Enemy: Charred Warrior
• Enemy: Charred Archer
• Enemy: Charred Warlock
• Enemy: Charred Twitcher
• Enemy Turret: Skugg
• Enemy: Morgen
• Enemy: Bonemaw Serpent
• Enemy/creature: Asksvin (tameable & rideable)
• Creature: Asksvin Calf
• Enemy: Volture
• Enemy: Lava Blob
• NPC/Enemy: Redbeard Dvergr
• Boss: Fader
• Miniboss: Lord Reto
• Spawner: Monument of Torment
• Spawner: Effigy of Malice

Crafting:

• Material: Majestic Carapace (previously Queen Drop)
• Material: Fader Relic (placeholder item)
• Material: Asksvin Hide
• Material: Asksvin Bladder
• Material: Asksvin Tail
• Material: Morgen Heart
• Material: Morgen Sinew
• Material: Celestial Feather
• Material: Bonemaw Meat
• Material: Bonemaw Tooth
• Material: Volture Meat
• Material: Volture Egg
• Material: Charred Skull
• Material: Charred Bone
• Material: Pot Shard
• Material: Bell Shard
• Material: Dyrnwyn Fragments x3
• Material: Bloodstone
• Material: Jade
• Material: Iolite
• Material: Flametal Ore (previous Flametal is now obsolete)
• Material/craftable: Flametal (previous Flametal is now obsolete)
• Material: Sulfur
• Material: Ashwood
• Material: Grausten
• Material: Charcoal Resin
• Material: Proustite Powder
• Material: Asksvin Neck
• Material: Asksvin Skull
• Material: Asksvin Ribcage
• Material: Asksvin Pelvis
• Material: Charred Cogwheel
• Material: Molten Core
• Material/craftable: Ceramic Plate
• Materia/craftable: Shield Core
• Plantable: Ashvine Seeds
• Artisan Table extension: Artisan Press
• Galdr Table extension: Feathery Wreath
• Cauldron extension: Rolling Pins and Cutting Boards
• Black Forge extension: Metal Cutter
• Black Forge extension: Gem Cutter
• Craftable: Bell
• Resource location: Lavaiathans
• Misc: Asksvin Egg

Craftable Items:

• Weapon: Dyrnwyn (sword)
• Weapon: Slayer (greatsword)
• Weapon: Brutal Slayer (greatsword)
• Weapon: Scourging Slayer (greatsword)
• Weapon: Primal Slayer (greatsword)
• Weapon: Nidhögg (sword)
• Weapon: Nidhögg the Bleeding (sword)
• Weapon: Nidhögg the Thundering (sword)
• Weapon: Nidhögg the Primal (sword)
• Weapon: Flametal Mace
• Weapon: Bloodgeon (mace)
• Weapon: Storm Star (mace)
• Weapon: Klossen (mace)
• Weapon: Berserkir Axes
• Weapon: Bleeding Berserkir Axes
• Weapon: Thundering Berserkir Axes
• Weapon: Primal Berserkir Axes
• Weapon: Ash Fang (bow)
• Weapon: Blood Fang (bow)
• Weapon: Storm Fang (bow)
• Weapon: Root Fang (bow)
• Weapon: Ripper (crossbow)
• Weapon: Wound Ripper (crossbow)
• Weapon: Storm Ripper (crossbow)
• Weapon: Root Ripper (crossbow)
• Weapon: Splitnir (spear)
• Weapon: Splitnir the Bleeding (spear)
• Weapon: Splitnir the Storming (spear)
• Weapon: Splitnir the Primal (spear)
• Shield: Flametal Shield (with multiple styles!)
• Shield: Flametal Tower Shield (with multiple styles!)
• Weapon: Trollstav (blood magic)
• Weapon: Staff of the Wild (elemental magic)
• Weapon: Dundr (elemental magic)
• Weapon: Staff of Fracturing (elemental magic)
• Armour Set: Flametal Breastplate, Flametal Greaves, Flametal Helmet
• Armour Set: Robes of Embla, Trousers of Embla, Hood of Embla
• Armour Set: Breastplate of Ask, Trousers of Ask, Hood of Ask
• Cape: Asksvin Cloak
• Cape: Ashen Cape
• Misc: Asksvin Saddle
• Bomb: Basalt Bomb
• Bomb: Smoke Bomb
• Ammunition: Grausten Payload
• Ammunition: Explosive Payload
• Ammunition: Charred Arrow
• Ammunition: Charred Bolt
• Ammunition: Flametal Missile

Build pieces & furniture:

• Building Pieces: 25 Ashwood Pieces (Ashwood Wall, Ashwood Half Wall, Ashwood Quarter Wall, Ashwood Arched Wall, Ashwood Decorative Wall, Ashwood Decorative Window, Ashwood Divider, Ashwood Floor 2×2, Ashwood Floor 1×1, Ashwood Decorative Floor, Ashwood Arch, Ashwood Beam 1m, Ashwood Beam 2m, Ashwood Pole 1m, Ashwood Pole 2m, Ashwood Beam 26°, Ashwood Roof Cross 26°, Ashwood Beam 45°, Ashwood Roof Cross 45°, Ashwood Wall 26°, Ashwood Wall 26° Inverted, Ashwood Wall 45°, Ashwood Wall 45° Inverted, Ashwood Stair, Ashwood Door)
• Building Pieces: 26 Grausten Pieces (Grausten Steep Stairs, Grausten Stairs, Grausten Floor 1×1, Grausten Floor 2×2, Grausten Floor 4×4, Grausten Small Pillar, Grausten Medium Pillar, Grausten Tapered Pillar, Grausten Tapered Pillar Inverted, Grausten Small Beam, Grausten Medium Beam, Grausten Small Arch, Grausten Medium Arch, Grausten Wall Arch, Grausten Wall Arch Inverted, Grausten Wall 1×2, Grausten Wall 2×2, Grausten Wall 4×2, Grausten Window 2×2, Grausten Window 4×2, Grausten Roof, Grausten Roof Corner, Grausten Arched Roof (2), Grausten Arched Roof, Grausten Arched Roof Corner (2))
• Building Piece: Flametal Gate
• Building Piece: Flametal Pillar
• Building Piece: Flametal Beam
• Defence: Ashwood Stakewall
• Stack: Ashwood Stack
• Stack: Grausten Pile
• Stack: Pile of Skulls
• Stack: Bone Stack
• Furniture: Ashwood Bed
• Furniture: Bone Throne
• Furniture: Lava Lantern
• Furniture: Asksvin Rug
• Furniture: Straw
• Furniture: Small Green Pot
• Furniture: Medium Green Pot
• Furniture: Large Green Pot
• Furniture: Ashwood Bench
• Furniture: Asksvin Skeleton
• Siege Machine: Catapult
• Siege Machine: Battering Ram
• Ship: Drakkar
• Misc: Shield Generator
• Misc: Portal – Stone

Food & Potions:

• Food: Cooked Volture Meat
• Food: Cooked Bonemaw Meat
• Food: Cooked Asksvin Tail
• Food: Fiddlehead
• Food: Fiery Svinstew
• Food: Marinated Greens
• Food: Mashed Meat
• Food: Piquant Pie (cooked/uncooked)
• Food: Roasted Crust Pie (cooked/uncooked)
• Food: Scorching Medley
• Food: Sizzling Berry Broth
• Food: Smoke Puff
• Food: Sparkling Shroomshake
• Food: Spicy Marmalade
• Food: Vineberry Cluster
• Mead: Lingering Healing Mead
• Mead: Lingering Eitr Mead

Misc:

• Location: Ruins (multiple)
• Location: Redbeard Dvergr Outposts
• Location: Putrid Hole
• Location: Charred Fortress
• Event: “The undead army marches”
• Event: “The dead have been summoned”
• Lore: New stones
• Lore: New dreams
• Lore: New Munin dialogue
• New music
• New forsaken power
• Terrain changes for Ashlands (Ashlands is now cut off from other biomes, only accessible by sea)

Fixes & Improvements:

• Fixed Major Healing Mead material
• Fixed Minor Eitr Mead Material
• Standardised texts throughout the game
• Updated names for old Flametal items
• The popup for unlocking new things is displayed longer
• Disabled ESRAM usage on Xbox One to work around a Unity bug that caused some particle systems to have corrupt shadowmaps
• Added console command ‘findtp’ to go to nearest found item
• Added console command ‘setfuel’ to fill all nearby lights to specified fuel
• Map is now closed after using debugmode teleport
• There is now a toggle in Gamplay Settings for “Attack towards look direction”, if this is toggled off, attacks will instead be made in the direction the camera is facing
• Modding: IMonoUpdater no longer requires to be inherited from and error messages removed

Since this is a public test, players must back up their worlds and characters. All players must be on the same testing branch to play together. Previous testers should start a new world to allow it to generate new content.

In-game, the Ashlands can only be reached by ship. You also have to be mindful of the building location – not only is a shield necessary to guard against eruptions but your base is ruined if the terrain shifts continuously. Also, since this is the last stop before the Deep North, Ashlands will be a challenging experience, so prepare accordingly (or tinker with the World Modifiers first).

As for the new content, players can expect over 30 new weapons, three new armor sets, more than 70 buildable items, five new crafting station upgrades and over 10 new creatures. There are also new events, mechanics, music, food items and potions. Head here for more details.

Valheim is available for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC. Check out our early access review.

Helldivers 2

Arrowhead Studios delivered an absolute smash hit with Helldivers 2, a co-op game where players team up to fight waves upon waves of enemies across the backdrop of alien planets. Many of its ideas can be traced back to live service games like The Division’s PvP mode, but the game’s ability to induce a constant sense of chaos as you try to complete the objectives without veering into frustrating territory is what makes it so addictive in the first place. The gameplay has a knack for crafting some amazing stories, and that power of shared experiences and personal stories is what made it such a big thing.

Hi-Fi Rush

We wouldn’t really imagine a developer of games like The Evil Within creating a brightly colored rhythm game, but Tango Gameworks actually did that with Hi-Fi Rush and shadow dropped it out of nowhere. And the best part is that it all works beautifully despite the game being something that’s well out of the developer’s comfort zone. Everything from the fleshed-out world that operates on a tempo to a diverse range of rocking tracks and a combat loop that’s more rewarding than it is punishing, Hi-Fi Rush makes for a great first rhythm game for fans to get into this niche genre.

Palworld

Palworld felt like an interesting contrast of genres with initial trailers showcasing cute Pokemon-like creatures holding realistic guns against the backdrop of lush green plainscapes. And when it was released in early access recently, fans absolutely lapped it up thanks to a solid set of mechanics that work well in conjunction with one another. Sure, there are a few rough edges here and there – but the sheer creativity of it all is what makes it so endearing in the first place.

A Plague Tale: Innocence

A Plague Tale: Innocence might feel like a cheap knockoff of The Last of Us at first glance, and while that notion is true on some level – it isn’t entirely indicative of the entire story. Set against the backdrop of one of the darkest times of history, the story of Amicia and Hugo is an emotionally charged tale that features an equal share of heartfelt moments and adrenaline-pumping set pieces – which combined with the wonderfully well-realized characters makes for an incredibly exciting experience through and through.

Stray

Stray might not be a sprawling epic or a thrilling ride, but its unique concept of putting you in the paws of a stray cat was apparently more than enough reason for hundreds of thousands of fans to want to pick this one up. The puzzles are pretty simple, but interesting world-building and a snappy runtime that never lets the player get bored of the mechanics is what made it such a big deal when it was released back in 2022.

Demon’s Souls

The game that started it all. Demon’s Souls, first released for the PlayStation 3 back in 2009, surprised everyone with its brutal difficulty and intimidating boss battles. Featuring excellent art style and an eerie atmosphere (who can forget the crazy Valley of Defilement), Demon’s Souls went on to become an unexpected hit among players. Although later Souls games will take the genre further in different ways, Demon’s Souls still remains a memorable experience. If you have a PlayStation 5, you can try the excellent remake which was released back in 2020.

Lies of P

Lies of P is developer Neowiz’ take on the Souls formula, and while the initial showings were definitely promising – it wouldn’t come as a surprise if the final result would rank amongst the dozens of similar FromSoftware that keep releasing left, right, and center. But that skepticism was proven wrong, and Lies of P managed to actually deliver a worthy Soulslike with excellent level designs, memorable boss battles, and a couple of unique mechanics of its own.

Baldur’s Gate 3

Larian’s latest Baldur’s Gate 3 is a game that has huge ambitions, and it would be safe to say that it has set a new benchmark for RPGs in this generation. Baldur’s Gate 3 features a complex web of mechanics that work well in cohesion with one another, and there’s a bunch of distinct possibilities right from story endings to different playstyles and much more – and the attention to detail in each aspect is the major drawing factor which makes Baldur’s Gate 3 such a fun time.

Valheim

Valheim launched into early access in 2020, and it instantly became a smash hit with hundreds of thousands of fans flocking to make a living in procedurally generated worlds. Valheim features interesting boss battles, a high level of replayability, and memorable boss battles – but what makes it stand out amongst the crowd is a very tangible sense of progression as you get stronger and stronger with each biome you clear.

Lords of the Fallen

Talking about Souls games that managed to win the hearts of hundreds of fans, we have Lords of the Fallen. Released last year, Lords of The Fallen thrusts players into an appropriately murky dark fantasy setting and dates them to take on brutal bosses and trudge through overwhelming odds. Add to that an excellent world-shifting system and gorgeous visuals, and Lords of the Fallen becomes an unmissable game for fans of Soulsborne releases.

Dave The Diver

Dave The Diver is the kind of game that never fails to surprise the player. It’s a weird mishmash of genres ranging from farming simulation to adventure and much more, and the fact that it all works beautifully in a cohesive fashion makes it such a great time. It’s a game that’s bursting at the seams with its creativity, and there are more than a few fans who took note of this one.

Phasmophobia

Blending together a horror experience in a multiplayer format is definitely a tough task, but Phasmophobia aces that with its excellent atmosphere and clever design. Phasmophobia was released at a time when friends were isolated from one another, and the sense of camaraderie that arises from trudging through decrepit locations and taking up tasks together is something that brought us closer to one another during such challenging times – which is one of the biggest reasons behind Phasmophobia’s runaway success.

The Forest

Survival games are dime a dozen these days, but Endlight Games’ smash hit The Forest managed to stand out amongst the barrage of similar contemporaries thanks to its excellent understanding of what makes a game of this ilk tick. The Forest features brutal survival mechanics, and the scenarios it puts you through force you to be dynamic in your approach and come up with interesting solutions to the problem at hand – and that is what makes it a game that’s worth spending dozens and dozens of hours in.

Last Epoch

The recently released Hack and Slash action RPG Last Epoch took the video gaming industry by storm, boldly making a name for itself in a genre. Last Epoch’s primary reason for success is its flexibility in build crafting, and its ability to appease both the casuals who don’t want to dive deep and veterans alike. In addition to this, Last Epoch also offers plenty of valuable loot as you progress through the game’s bevy of dungeons, and that engaging hook of player progression is another major drawing factor for the game.

Rocket League

Driving an abnormally large ball into a goalpost while seated in a car might just sound like someone’s wildest dream, and the developer made that dream come true with Rocket League. And despite a few inherent frustrations that come with this interesting yet unwieldy concept, Rocket League manages to be a greatly fun game that becomes even better if you have a few friends to play alongside as you make memorable stories of last-minute victories and defeats alike.

Headlining the list is last year’s critically acclaimed title Baldur’s Gate 3. Following the epic RPG is a good mix of major releases as well as smaller indie games. The second most-played game, for instance, was Vampire Survivors, which was followed by Dave the Diver. Palworld, meanwhile, comes in at 6. The top 10 spots on the list also feature AAA releases like Hogwarts Legacy at 4, Elden Ring at 5, Cyberpunk 2077 at 7, Grand Theft Auto 5 at 8, and Red Dead Redemption 2 at 10.

The overall list is quite interesting, since it doesn’t just include the Steam Deck Verified games that have Valve’s approval for being playable on the Steam Deck with full optimisations. For example, Fallout 4 and Forza Horizon 5 are both present on the list, despite only being marked as Playable on the Steam Deck.

The list also features a healthy mix of genres, ranging from survival crafting titles like Terraria and Valheim, to co-op shooters like the recently-released Helldivers 2, to large-scale story-based action games like Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.

You can check out the top 20 below, or the full top 100 through the link above.

Unlike with Mistlands, Iron Gate is taking a more open approach to revealing details about the Ashlands. These include new dishes like Mashed Meat, Piquant Pie and Spicy Marmalade, made with plants growing in the region. You’ll also be able to craft some crazy new armor (seen above).

Other incoming content includes new siege engines for breaching the Ashlands fortresses, the Fallen Valkyrie boss and the Charred, skeletons with fiery hearts. There’s also the massive Bonemaw Serpent, which resides in the region’s water, though it’s unknown if it’s hostile. Stay tuned for more details on the Ashlands in the coming months.

At its simplest level, players can essentially raise the health and damage of enemies by raising the difficulty, and similarly, lower enemy health and damage by lowering the difficulty. There are also options that allow players to focus entirely on the base-building aspects of Valheim rather than having to take part in the game’s combat.

Lead developer of Valheim, Jonathan Smårs, had spoken about the new difficulty options coming to the game back in April. Smårs also spoke about how the difficulty options would work, and how the game would also be getting a new Hardcore mode with combat difficulty set at its hardest.

Back in May, the studio had released a statement talking about mod support for Valheim, and how it does not condone locking mods behind pay walls as it would go “against the creative and open spirit of modding itself”.

The studio makes it clear that, while it is happy to see mods being made, the lack of official support for modding Valheim means that players creating or using mods are doing so at their own risk. “We can’t guarantee that mods will be compatible with newer versions of the game,” said the studio.

The primary topic of the statement, however, is on the nature of mods that cost money. While the studio remains sympathetic to mod creators that spend a lot of their own time and resources on creating their mods, and understands that these creators might want some sort of compensation for their work, Iron Gate does not condone putting mods behind a paywall.

“We feel that charging money for a mod is against the creative and open spirit of modding itself, and therefore we urge all mod authors to make their mods freely available to all who want to play them,” said the studio in the statement. “This should include the whole mod, and not just have part of the mod available for free while another part of it costs money.”

The studio does, however, think it’s fine for a mod author to request support from the playerbase through voluntary donations, such as through a link where players can donate some money or seek funding through Patreon. Locking mods behind a paywall, however, is strictly disallowed.

Iron Gate has also requested that mod authors make it clear that their mods are unofficial at places where mods are available. This is largely to avoid player confusion when they join a server and mods are automatically being downloaded for the game.

Casual mode is slated to be the easiest difficulty mode for the core Valheim gameplay. While there will still be elements of survival and crafting, monsters will not attack players unless provoked. Players also won’t have their bases raided, and resources will be easier to find.

Hammer mode, on the other hand, will remove all restrictions in the game’s building options, allowing players to create just about anything for free. Much like Casual mode, monsters in Hammer mode will not attack unless provoked, and players won’t be raided.

A new Immersive mode also seems to be in the works, taking away the player’s map as well as their ability to use portals. This means that players will have to use their own navigational abilities to be able to keep track of where they are in the world.

New Easy and Hard modes are coming to Valheim as well. Both of these modes essentially effects the difficultry of combat, and how frequently players will find their bases being raided by monsters.

The hardest mode coming to the game, aptly titled Hardcore mode, features the hardest difficulty in combat as well as the highest frequency of raids. If a player dies, they will also lose all items they are carrying and skills forever. Much like Immersive mode, Hardcore mode will also not allow players to use a map or portals.

Are your ready for hardcore mode in #Valheim? ☠️
..or do you prefer something more chill?

Note: Actual settings are not final! @valheimgame #gamedev #indiedev #gamedevelopment pic.twitter.com/9OtOxDpkAo

— Jonathan Smårs (@jsmars) April 17, 2023