How to play the Valheim Mistlands update on the public test branch

You can try out the Valheim Mistlands update by swapping to the public test branch instead of waiting for the main release.

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You’ll need to download the Valheim public test branch if you want to play the newMistlands updatefor viking crafting action but don’t worry—it’s easy. Iron Gate has finally revealed the long-awaited Mistlands biome update but it isn’t actually fully released. I mean, neither is Valheim, as it’s still in early access. But the new biome is even earlier early access as it’s currently located on an opt-in beta build. It’s betaception in here.

Iron Gate will of course add the Mistlands biome to the main version of the game after it’s had a bit more time with bug fixes and testing in the test branch. That doesn’t have to stop you from jumping in to explore though. You can swap back and forth between the main early access version of Valheim and its public test branch at will. Just be sure you’re diligent about keeping a backup copy of your save files.

We’ve already been taking a stab at the update and have found a lot of new Mistlands surprises. If you’re ready to go battle the fog yourself, here’s how to unlock it:

How to unlock the Valheim test branch

Public test branch for Steam:

As is clear at every step of this process, Iron Gate advises that you be veryverysure you’ve made backup copies of your worlds and characters. There’s always a possibility that the test branch could corrupt your save files. Your Valheim saves location is atC:\Users[username]\AppData\LocalLow\IronGate\Valheim\

Make a copy of your “characters” folder and “worlds” folder before playing on the test server.

Public test branch for Game Pass:

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If you want to revert back to the main branch of the game, you’ll opt out of the preview from the Insider Hub app and then redownload the game again.

Does your character carry over to the Valeheim test branch?

Yes, the good news is that you don’t have to start over with a fresh character or world when playing on the Valheim public test branch. You can play the same geared up character you’ve been using and even the same world save file you’ve been playing on too.

If you’ve already encountered the placeholder version of the Mistlands biome in your save file, you will need to continue exploring in order to generate new parts of the world with the new crafting materials and enemies. “If you cannot find any unexplored Mistlands, you might need to start a new world,” Iron Gate advises in itsMistlands public test patch notes.

Lauren has been writing for PC Gamer since she went hunting for the cryptid Dark Souls fashion police in 2017. She accepted her role as Associate Editor in 2021, now serving as self-appointed chief cozy games and farmlife sim enjoyer. Her career originally began in game development and she remains fascinated by how games tick in the modding and speedrunning scenes. She likes long fantasy books, longer RPGs, can’t stop playing co-op survival crafting games, and has spent a number of hours she refuses to count building houses in The Sims games for over 20 years.

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