Valheim 1.0 & Deep North: Preparing your dedicated server

Valheim has left Early Access with version 1.0, and Deep North makes this much more than a routine content update. New enemies, equipment, building pieces and mechanics expand the far north. Groups running a dedicated server should prepare before setting out.

What is included in Valheim 1.0?

The new Deep North biome is the centrepiece. Iron Gate lists more than 40 new weapons, four armour sets, over 80 building pieces, new creatures, materials, food, locations, music and events. Achievements, upgradeable pockets and a Unity engine upgrade are included as well.

For existing groups, the save-format change matters just as much. Subsequent hotfixes have already addressed issues involving converted worlds, terrain changes and items. A clean backup before the first 1.0 start is therefore the most important preparation.

Existing world or a fresh start?

Existing worlds can continue, but new content is generated only in unexplored areas. If your group has already uncovered large parts of the north, Deep North may not appear as intended for version 1.0.

For the complete new experience, start a fresh world. If you want to keep your halls and supplies, first stop the server, create a complete world backup, save world and character files locally, check mod compatibility and only then update.

Mods after the update

Major Valheim releases can temporarily break mods. Start the updated server without optional mods first. Once the world loads cleanly, enable extensions one by one and check the server log after each step.

This takes longer but makes it much easier to identify an outdated mod. Create another backup before every larger change.

Crossplay and persistent worlds

Valheim 1.0 launched on PC, Linux, Mac, Xbox, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2. Iron Gate says full crossplay remains available between platforms. A dedicated server keeps the shared world online regardless of who originally created it or is currently playing.

The Nobody Workz portal puts server name, world name, password, public listing, crossplay, automatic updates and backup interval in one place. Existing worlds can be transferred through file access or SFTP.

Our Deep North checklist

• Create a manual backup before updating.
• Run the first start without non-essential mods.
• Allow time for world conversion and the first complete startup.
• Check terrain, portals and important item stands after loading.
• Invite the group and re-enable mods only after the world is verified.

Recent hotfixes improve terrain behaviour, performance, multiplayer saving and multiple Deep North systems. Automatic updates are useful, but they are not a substitute for a deliberate backup before a major version change.

Valheim hosting at Nobody Workz

Our Valheim servers provide a persistent shared world, crossplay, automatic updates, configurable world backups, SFTP and DDoS protection. The key settings are available directly in the customer portal.

Configure a Valheim server · View all game servers

In short: Valheim 1.0 is an excellent moment to begin a new shared saga, but the right time for a backup is before the first start.