Valheim Is Getting Hardcore And Creative Modes Soon

3.7

Lead Designer Jonathan Smårs of Iron Gate Studios gave fans a sneak peek of the new game mode options coming to the hit Viking-themed survival game Valheim.

The two biggest standouts spotted in the short 20-second video posted by Smårs are hardcore and the so-called "hammer mode." Since its release this January, Valheim has seen steady improvements from Iron Gate, and these new game modes look like they will be a huge leap for the game.

When mousing over hardcore, the tooltip reads: "Combat is a lot harder and monsters will raid your base more often. When you die all items you are carrying and skills are lost forever. You have no map and may not use portals." This is sure to add a unique challenge to the game which already has a reputation for being unforgiving at times.

But if a challenge is not your thing then the new creative mode, dubbed hammer mode, might be more up your alley. The video tooltip for this mode reads: "You can build all buildings for free. There are no raids on your base, and monsters will not attack until you provoke them. Other difficulty settings are normal."

Alongside these more staple game modes are immersive mode—which is an alternative-enhanced difficulty with no map or portal usage to encourage immersive gameplay—and perhaps most interestingly, difficulty sliders. With this new update, you will be able to customize the difficulty faced and penalties suffered to a huge degree. Combat difficulty, how much loot you lose on death, the frequency of enemy raids, and the rate at which you gather resources all seem to be up for change.

The final piece of this puzzle comes with the ability to change these settings on the fly with zero restrictions, as confirmed by Smårs in the replies to his original Tweet. Players will be free to dial in the exact amount of challenge, or pull the rip cord if they're in too deep. It also opens up possibilities for unique gameplay situations that may have been impossible or required a prohibitive time sink to achieve, such as defending a particularly elaborate fortress from incessant enemy attacks.

With the game now available across multiple platforms and with cross-play support, there has been no better time to gather your closest housecarls, run out the longboats, and return to the harshly beautiful lands of Valheim.

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