A large base for hapless Valheim players disintegrated before their eyes when they visited it after applying an update to the popular survival sandbox. Valheim originally launched in Early Access on PC in 2021 to great acclaim, selling 5 million copies in its first month on-line, and breaking the 10 million mark by mid-2022. Earlier this year, the survival phenomenon released by Coffee Stain Studios came to Xbox consoles.
The procedurally generated world of Valheim features a range of different biomes, from pleasant plains and grasslands to dark forests and gloomy swamps. As a survival sandbox game, players must gather resources to build tools and, more importantly, shelters such as huts or larger bases. Survival games like Valheim are often updated throughout the game’s lifespan, and some of them even make their way into the realm of live services with seasonal events or expansions that permanently change or add to the game world. Wahlheim is no exception. As an early access game, it’s seen a steady stream of small updates as well as the occasional big update that brings new areas like Mistlands or the upcoming Ashlands into the world.
Consider the procedural generation of the game and the ever-changing updates to the world of Valheim. TikTok user treylox6704 posted a video of them watching their now floating Valheim base crumble away bit by bit after applying the game-changing update. Since players cannot build floating structures in Valheim, an update could tear the ground from beneath the base, causing it to disintegrate in real time as its proud architect spawns into the game world.
There were other Valheim players who visited their base after the update, only to find that they had disappeared due to the terrain change. Many commenters below the post said they would uninstall Valheim immediately if this happened. Others condemned early access games, talking about how games like Valheim are ultimately unfinished and thus prone to stability issues where players could lose their constructs.
Players can develop an attachment to their creations in a survival game like Valheim, especially the buildings that serve as refuges from the dangers of the game world. With Valheim still in early access, there’s no telling when players will see a more stable 1.0 version of the popular survival game arrive. Developers are likely targeting 2023 for version 1.0. Now that the Summer Game Fest is upon us, perhaps Valheim players will get an update on when to expect the game’s full release, hopefully with much less chance of such a mishap.
Valheim is available now on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.