Valheim will leave early access and launch version 1.0 on September 9, 2026, with the Deep North update completing the planned biome set. The price will rise from $19.99 to $29.99 on that date.
Valheim's five-year early access run ends on September 9, 2026, when version 1.0 launches alongside the Deep North update, the final planned biome. Iron Gate and publisher Coffee Stain Publishing confirmed the date during the PC Gaming Show 2026 on June 8. The game will be available on PC via Steam and the Microsoft Store, as well as on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch 2. The Deep North biome adds frozen landscapes, underground threats, and dungeon exploration, completing the Norse mythology-themed world.
The price will increase from $19.99 to $29.99 on launch day, a $10 jump that works out to roughly 1,300 yen in Japan. The game is currently 50% off during the Steam Summer Sale, priced at 1,295 yen. Development entered its final phase in late May 2026, with a new save system being tested publicly and Steam achievement icons shown for the full release. The developers teased a 'quite interesting announcement' at the PC Gaming Show, which turned out to be the release date and Deep North reveal.
Separately, Valheim lead engineer Jonathan Smårs showed a playable demo of his solo-developed space survival sandbox Starpath at BitSummit PUNCH in May 2026. The game emphasizes a cozy, relaxing experience in zero gravity with no combat focus. Smårs works on Valheim full-time and develops Starpath at night and on weekends. Another side project, Begraved, a co-op dungeon exploration horror game from the small studio Grip Jaw formed by Valheim developers, will end its demo on July 25, 2026, with a full release still planned for 2026 on PC via Steam.
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Iron Gate confirmed a price increase for Valheim when it leaves early access on September 9. The game will go from $19.99 to $29.99, a $10 jump that works out to roughly 1,300 yen in Japan. The game is currently 50% off during the Steam Summer Sale, priced at 1,295 yen.
Grip Jaw, a small studio formed by Valheim developers, announced the demo for its co-op dungeon exploration horror game Begraved will end on July 25. The team decided the demo no longer represents the full game and will focus on completing the title, with closed testing resuming after July 26. The game is planned for a 2026 release on PC via Steam.
Automaton's 86th weekly roundup highlights seven major game announcements, including a full remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for Nintendo Switch 2 releasing this year, Persona 6 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, a Persona 4 remake, and the official release date for Valheim on September 9.
Developer Iron Gate and publisher Coffee Stain Publishing announced during the PC Gaming Show 2026 on June 8 that the open-world survival crafting game Valheim will leave early access and launch its version 1.0 on September 9, 2026. The same day will bring the Deep North update, adding the final planned biome to the Norse mythology-themed world. Valheim entered early access in February 2021 and peaked at over 500,000 concurrent players on Steam, according to SteamDB. The official release will be available on PC via Steam and the Microsoft Store, as well as on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch 2. The Deep North biome was promised during early access and has now been shown in gameplay footage, featuring frozen landscapes, underground threats, and dungeon exploration. The announcement marks the end of a five-year early access period for the Viking survival title.
Coffee Stain Publishing and Iron Gate AB announced that development of the full 1.0 version of Valheim has entered its final stage. A new save system is being tested publicly, and Steam achievement icons for the full release have been shown. The developers also teased a 'quite interesting announcement' at the PC Gaming Show on June 8, 2026.
Jonathan Smårs, the lead engineer and designer on Iron Gate's Valheim, showed a playable demo of his solo-developed space survival sandbox Starpath at BitSummit PUNCH, held May 22-24, 2026. Smårs, who also has five children, works on Valheim full-time and develops Starpath at night and on weekends. The game emphasizes a cozy, relaxing experience in zero gravity, where players build colonies, maintain spaceships, and explore abandoned structures. Combat is not a focus. Movement in zero gravity allows 360-degree orientation and propulsion-based gliding, with an optional automated braking setting for accessibility. The demo included repairing oxygen leaks by snapping replacement parts onto outer walls, though the building system is still early in development. Smårs cited influences from classic sci-fi like Interstellar and Cowboy Bebop, and said the game's central mystery is whether other life exists in the universe. He plans to release a polished demo at a future event before launching on Steam, likely in early access. Smårs also expressed interest in building a Japanese community on Discord and holding test events in Japan.