Valheim Teases Upcoming Volcanic Ashlands Biome And Hildir’s Quest Update

After plopping Valheim players into the middle of a mist-filled swamp in its Mistlands update, Iron Gate Studio is sending players off to the volcanic land of the dead in Ashlands.

Unlike existing zones, the Ashlands will be permanently located in the southern part of the map in any seed world. The studio says that the new zone is currently in pre-production, and while it’s technically open with desert-like placeholder textures and creatures, you’re probably better off waiting until the new zone’s official release before dropping by.

Iron Gate also reiterated its commitment to improving its communication with the Viking MMORPG’s community. “Last time we promised to be a lot more open with the development of the Ashlands than we were with the Mistlands,” said the studio. “If you follow us on social media you’ve been able to see some concept art of weapons and fortresses, as well as some terrain tests! You might even have caught a glimpse of some early 3D models!”

The dev team also offered more information on the new Hildir’s Quest content which will arrive as part of smaller updates prior to Ashland’s release. The Hildir’s Quest update will also give players the option to give their characters a makeover with new hairstyles and a new set of fancy clothes to choose from.

“Another thing we’re looking at for Hildir’s Quest is playtesting some new server settings,” Iron Gate revealed. “We’re trying out a hard mode and an easy mode, but also a casual mode where you won’t lose gear upon death. The normal mode will still always be the best balanced version of the game, but we hope adding more ways to play the game can both provide a challenge to experienced players and open the game up to players who would rather take a calm and relaxed approach.”

No release dates or windows have been given for the aforementioned updates but we can probably expect Ashlands to roll out by the end of the year of early 2024, barring any unforeseen delays.

Time for another look into what’s going on behind the #Valheim scenes! Read the new blog post here: https://t.co/Tddg74E7oj pic.twitter.com/kLsBOdykt3

— Valheim (@Valheimgame) February 15, 2023