A game-breaking glitch dubbed the "world-destroyer bug" is running rampant across Valheim, deleting players' characters and progress; at the time of writing, developer Iron Gate has not found a fix. The co-op survival game hit Steam Early Access less than two weeks ago and quickly became somewhat of an overnight success. Within just a week of launch, for instance, Valheim sold an impressive one million units.
The title places players in the role of fallen warriors who are ferried to the titular Valheim, the 10th Norse world where survival is a must in order to please the Gods and avoid Hel. Survival is no easy task, though. With braving harsh environments and battling mythical beasts proving central to the overall experience, players can either endure the hardship on their lonesome or venture out with up to nine others. Crafting resources such as weapons and armor is equally integral, which makes the latest details about the happenings in Valheim that much more unfortunate.
While there are players who may find Valheim's overarching narrative hit or miss, there's no doubt everyone has an investment in their character and world. Unfortunately, trouble is afoot on this particular front. According to Iron Gate CEO Richard Svensson, the "world-destroyer bug" can wipe a player's progress without warning. The game-breaking glitch is apparently an issue the studio can't reproduce, Svensson added in a Twitter post; thus, a proper fix doesn't exist as of yet. However, the CEO said it appears to occur when players exit Valheim by hitting ALT+F4. Using the menu exit could be the best bet for avoiding the issue, Svensson suggests. Until a patch can root out the world-destroyer bug, players are encouraged to backup their worlds and characters.
Those who have devoted a considerable amount of time to the survival title, and no longer count themselves a beginner in Valheim, would do well to heed Svensson's advise of backing up all progress. As is always the case, it's better to be safe than sorry, especially since it remains unclear when the studio will have a fix ready to roll out.
Though it represents one of the handful of Viking-centric games to launch in recent years, Valheim doesn't tackle the subject like God of War (2018) or Assassin's Creed Valhalla. Iron Gate explores the mythology from a different angle, providing a fresh experience unlike anything else on the market at present. With that in mind, it'll be interesting to see how the game continues to improve and expand over time.
Valheim is available now on PC via Steam Early Access.
Source: Richard Svensson