Is it time to create a new character and world in Valheim 1.0?

Valheim 1.0 has finally arrived, and you can almost hear the excitement of countless Vikings preparing their gear, ready to embark on an adventure into the game’s latest biome: the Deep North.

Before you dive into this frosty new territory, you might be contemplating whether to create a fresh character and world for Valheim 1.0 or continue your journey with your existing Viking and realm. Experienced players know that updates can sometimes clash with previously explored worlds. For instance, areas you’ve already visited won’t be updated with new terrain and features, which can lead to some issues.

Here’s what the developers have to say:

“Your world will receive new content even if it was created before the update, although biome generation will only function correctly in unexplored areas,” states the team behind Valheim in their 1.0 FAQ. “However, we always recommend starting the game over from scratch for the best experience.”

In simpler terms, if you’ve already ventured into the northern regions of your world, those areas won’t feature the updated terrain and elements of the Deep North. Therefore, creating a new world is advisable if you’ve already explored the upper reaches of the map.

There are additional considerations for 1.0, according to the developers:

“The achievement system will start tracking your stats from the moment you download the 1.0 version. This means that achievements related to defeating Eikthyr, for example, will require you to take him down again, even if you’ve already done so countless times.”

Starting fresh also brings an unexpected narrative bonus:

“To enrich the world of Valheim and welcome both seasoned and new players, Iron Gate collaborated with Brikk Animation to produce a brand-new cinematic that will introduce players to the Valheim universe,” the developers explain. “More cinematics will also play after players defeat key bosses throughout the game.”

I’ve seen these animated sequences, and while they aren’t strictly necessary for the experience, they’re quite impressive. If you don’t replay the game from the start for 1.0, you might miss out on witnessing all of them firsthand (unless you catch them on YouTube).

Having played Valheim 1.0, I also suggest starting a new character and world. This aligns with the developers’ advice and reflects what many players, including myself, have chosen to do. I restarted for the review, despite having logged over a hundred hours in early access, and I’m glad I did. It was a fantastic way to rediscover the game’s charm and see how much it has evolved since 2021.

So, that’s our take! Consider this: you’ve waited this long for the Deep North, and taking a little extra time to replay from the beginning will be worth it for the journey ahead.