As Valheim enters its 1.0 final release, players face a crucial decision: start anew with a fresh character and world, or continue with their existing progress. Developer Iron Gate strongly recommends a fresh start to fully integrate the game's final biome, the Deep North, and other new features.
While existing worlds will receive the new content, biome generation will only apply to unexplored areas. This means that any terrain already discovered in the northern reaches of a player's current world will not be updated with the Deep North's features, potentially hindering the intended experience. "We always recommend that you start the game over from scratch to get the best possible experience," the developers stated in their FAQ.
Beyond geographical updates, the 1.0 release introduces a revamped achievement system. Any achievements tied to defeating bosses, for example, will require players to defeat them again, even if previously accomplished. This encourages a full playthrough to re-earn accolades.
Furthermore, the 1.0 update brings new narrative elements. Iron Gate has collaborated with Brikk Animation to create a new cinematic that introduces players to the world of Valheim, with additional cinematics planned to play after key bosses are slain. These story elements are best experienced by starting a new game.
PC Gamer's editorial team also advises a fresh start for Valheim 1.0. Having played the completed version, they found that replaying from the beginning offered a valuable opportunity to rediscover the game's improvements and experience its evolving world. This sentiment is shared by staff who started anew for their own reviews, finding the experience rewarding despite prior hours played.
The recommendation is to embrace the opportunity for a complete journey. Given the long wait for the Deep North biome, a brief delay to restart from the beginning is presented as a worthwhile endeavor to fully appreciate the culmination of Valheim's development.