One newValheimtease in a popular biome could be a major change for the entire game. The popular Viking survival game is believed to only have one more major update left. That is a revamp to the currently emptyDeep North Arctic biome that will act as the 1.0 release of the game. However, it is supposedly not set to launch till late 2025 or early 2026, meaning any updates that come in the meantime will likely be small in scale.
So far,very little is known about the Deep North. It is expected it will be similar to the mountains, as it has an intense cold effect, but outside that is a blank slate. There is also a chance this 1.0 update could add an Ocean revamp, but that is a lower priority for the development team. Broader mod support has been something the team says they want to include in the 1.0 update, which would be a huge boost for the longevity of the popular indie title.
Valheim Could Be Introducing Swamp Witches
A New Friend Or A Magical Foe?
Valheim’s Swamp biome is arguably the best in the game and could get even better. In a recentDevelopment Blog, a small hut with these ward-like totems outside it has been shown off. Some users have even peered inside the small opening of the hut to see a cauldron that is noticeably different from the one Vikings use.This has led to the popular theory of it being a Witch Hut, which is backed up by the blog saying,“there’s also something brand new brewing in the Swamps.“
If true, this could be a massive boost for the Swamp. This biome is the first large ramp-up in difficulty filled with poisonous leeches, tanky skeletons/draugrs, andone of the hardest bosses inValheim,Bonemass. It is challenging to navigate and even more so to delve into the Crypts for iron needed to progress through the game. Though other biomes may have more difficulty,the Swamp is the perfect combination of everything that makesValheimgreat.
How The Swamp Hut Could Work In Valheim
Expanding The Magic
Without further information, there are a few ways this hut could work. The first is the Witch acting like another NPC.A place where players could go to buy mead without needing the resources to make it. It would also be interesting if the NPC hadnew meads/potions that could only be found with them. This would blend perfectly into the magic aspect that recent updates have played into. A few examples of this could be consumables that cover missing areas like buffing magic resistance or all damage from player sources.
Another option this could take is a new mini-boss. This would be an interesting encounter that could go many ways but would fit the atmosphere of the Swamp more than a friendly NPC would. The most important part of this, besides making the fight memorable, would be proper rewards. It could be similar to the Ashlands boss Lord Reto, where defeating the Witch is part of a quest to build a named weapon.
Currently, there are three other named staff inValheim. Luckily, none of them cover what a Swamp Witch can do. However, one of the regular staff does imbue poison. Thus,a staff from this would either have to cover a different theme or be a significantly better version than the Staff of the Wild. They could also go the route of making a named armor piece that is focused ongetting the Eitr power sourceor magic as a whole and avoiding power creeping any weapons.
Overall, this Swamp Hut has the potential to be a real game-changer. At worst, it will likely be a small upgrade to how consumables work, but at its best, it could completely change the landscape of magic. It will be interesting to see if this is part of a small update in the intermediate to hold things over or if this will be a part of the Deep North 1.0 update. Regardless, thisValheimtease could have huge implications for the future of one ofthe hardest open-world games.
