Launching a game in Early Access is an understandably stressful time for any game developer. However, Early Access is also a huge opportunity as interested gamers are going to experience a game for the first time, but they'll also see how responsive a game developer is to feedback. Valheim developer Iron Gate AB is already off to a great example. Just days after launch, Iron Gate AB is already issuing updates for some of Valheim's most pressing issues.
This Friday, Iron Gate AB issued updates 0.142.5 and 0.142.6 for Valheim, the latter of which featured a single but important change. The changes address a mix of issues that players already discovered and fixes from pre-launch that the developer only just got around to finishing. The survival game's updates are both live, so players shouldn't have to worry about these issues anymore.
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The list of fixes includes one for an issue where Valheim would freeze loading up its logo screen, and another for an issue where pressing dodge fast would take extra stamina but wouldn't make players dodge faster or more. It also adds effects so that players will know when they're drowning, adjustments to damage scaling for enemies when there are multiple players in a game, and lots of smaller GUI and interface issues. Suffice to say, these are necessary fixes typical of Early Access releases that should immediately make the game better in small and large ways.
There's also one major detail that Valheim players will appreciate which isn't shared directly in the patch notes. Players can build a confidence in Iron Gate AB regarding the developer's dedication to improving a game. It's only several days after launch and a meaningful patch has been issued. This is only a single patch and there are plenty of issues remaining, so clearly there's more trust to build, but it's a start.
Players on PC or console are right to be cautious over Early Access releases. There have been countless Early Access or Kickstarter games that have burned early adopters, taking advantage of their interest. There's little that is more important than delivering on expectations and building that trust, which should work to Valheim's benefit.
The benefits are already apparent for Valheim and Iron Gate AB, as well. The game is just a few days old and it already has over 5,000 "Overwhelmingly Positive" reviews on Steam. Valheim has a large amount of potential and players are already enjoying it, so it's going to be interesting to watch development progress as Valheim moves toward its full release.
Valheim is available now in Early Access on PC.