Raise your tankard – Valheim launches on Xbox and Game Pass

Previously kicking around on PC via Early Access, we think it’s pretty safe to say that the teams at Iron Gate and Coffee Stain Publishing will be happy with the response of gamers – Overwhelmingly Positive reviews on Steam always raise a smile. Now though it’s time for the Xbox side of the gaming community to get in on the action, as the brutal survival exploration of Valheim launches on Xbox and Game Pass. 

Available today as an Xbox Game Preview title – meaning that this is a work in progress experience so expect the devs to amend things ahead of full launch – Valheim comes to the Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S world, complementing the PC release with full cross-platform play, new-gen console optimisation, Xbox Smart Delivery (play the finest version of the game for your console) and more, including Game Pass fun, in house. 

It’s priced up at £15.49 from the Xbox Store, with a free trial available as well as Game Pass power ensuring that subscribed players can get access for no further cash outlay. If you decide to grab one of those downloads, you’ll discover a one-to-ten player survival experience which has been fully inspired by the intrigue of Norse mythology. And you really should be raising a tankard to that. 

It’s the tenth realm that awaits, which fits well as more than ten million vikings have transcended into Valheim on PC, with more now finding the gates opening as the Xbox release hits. With it comes full console controller optimisation too, with Iron Gate and Coffee Stain promising intuitive and natural gameplay. You can thank you the external porting teams for that, as Fishlabs handled the Xbox side of things and Piktiv worked wonders with crossplay. 

• So what more do you want? Well, Viking longhouses await, as does base building, decorative opportunities, and the chance to involve yourself with upgrades aplenty. For many though, whilst the finer details will be of appeal, it’ll be the explorative and combative sides of Valheim that mostly draw focus – and it’s here where this looks to excel, all as the Viking life awaits. 

Boss fighting, ship sailing, crafting, and more sit nicely in the key features set…

• -Massive procedurally-generated world where every biome is immersive and distinct, with unique enemies, resources and crafting recipes to discover.
• – Play alone or with up to 10 players on player-hosted dedicated servers and experience unlimited world creation and enemies that scale in difficulty.
• – Staminabased combat that rewards preparation and skill. Utilize weapon types with unique attacks, different blocking styles, ranged combat, dodges and parries to fight your enemies.
• – Rewarding food system where you cannot starve and are not punished for not eating, instead you gain health, stamina and regeneration buffs depending on what foods you consume.
• – Intuitive crafting where recipes are discovered as you explore the world, and pick up new resources and ingredients.
• – Flexible building system that takes structural integrity and ventilation into account. Build a small shelter or an entire village, make outposts or claim abandoned buildings as your own. Then customize to your liking.
• – Sail boats and ships to reach distant lands and explore the sea that offers riches to claim and monsters to fight.
• – Epic boss fights that will test even the best prepared vikings and offer rewards that help you on your journey.

Whether you are primarily looking to gather, to craft or just to survive, Valheim should suit a host of players. We will of course let you know how it all plays when we deliver a full preview – running review further down the line as Valheim looks to lose the Game Preview tag – but you can get involved for yourself by hitting up the Xbox Store. Let us know in the comments whether you’ll be using the free trial, the joy of Game Pass or the usual cash outlay. 

Game Description:

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, construct longhouses, and slay mighty foes to prove yourself to Odin!