Iron Gate has released the final Walk & Talk episode, which goes into detail about the upcoming Ashlands update for their brutal Viking survival game, Valheim. They revealed more information about elemental upgrades, spell damage to new creatures, what we can expect after this update goes live, and when the game will leave early access.

The developers have showcased basic versions of a few melee weapons, as well as a lightning version of one of the swords. In the Ashland biome, you will be able to find elemental crystals that can be used to customize your weapons. By using one of the three gems on your weapon, you can enhance it with the power of blood, storm, or nature. Upgrading only works with weaponry crafted using flame metal, the new resource found in the Ashlands. The dual axes with the blood effect are a popular choice among the devs. These are a new kind of axe, and their power comes from upgrading the axe skill, implemented in the hope that the tool gets a bit more love.

Between the crystals and the new weapons and types, the Ashlands will be the update that adds the most amount of weaponry to date.

According to the developers, adding magic into the upcoming biome was a challenging process to make it feel right. For example, players have already gained access to ice magic in the Mistlands update. There was some debate over whether it should deal more or less damage to fire enemies, as well as considerations regarding fire spells. After much deliberation, they settled on a solution that they believe works well, but the details are being kept secret.

The Ashlands aims to be the most difficult area in the game yet, and will serve as the beginning of the endgame for Valheim. 

After this update comes out, we can expect one more new biome, the Deep North. After that, the game will leave early access and release as 1.0.

Have you expected to see more biomes before the full release? Let me know in the comments.