Our 2021 GOTY, Valheim, is now on Game Pass

Valheim Viking giving thumbs up
(Image credit: Iron Gate Studios)

The Nordic-flavored survival game that took PC gaming by storm in 2021 is now chopping down trees and killing Odin's creatures on Microsoft's PC Game Pass.

If you're already exploring Valheim's biomes, building castles and longships, getting up to viking business and whatnot, this is a fantastic way to get new friends into the game. Valheim's crossplay functionality will allow you to connect with friends playing on PC Game Pass and even consoles—if you need help with that, we have a guide on how to enable crossplay in Valheim.

The move to Game Pass comes ahead of Valheim's Mistlands update, which is still expected to release by the end of the year. From what we know so far, the update will feature new fauna, weapons, armor, and some evocative-looking ruins. Mistlands was initially set to release at the end of 2021, and we did note in our State of Valheim 2022 feature that impatience for the new expansion is one of very few points of discontent in the community.

Valheim is still in early access, technically, but despite that label, it earned our top award last year.

"Millions of people spending months absorbed in an Early Access game made by a tiny studio is the kind of magic I adore about PC games," Lauren Morton wrote in our 2021 Game of the Year Award writeup.

With an update on the way and the ability to play via Game Pass, or at least invite Game-Pass-subscription-having friends to play with you, it seems like as good a time as ever to get into Valheim.

Associate Editor

Ted has been thinking about PC games and bothering anyone who would listen with his thoughts on them ever since he booted up his sister's copy of Neverwinter Nights on the family computer. He is obsessed with all things CRPG and CRPG-adjacent, but has also covered esports, modding, and rare game collecting. When he's not playing or writing about games, you can find Ted lifting weights on his back porch.

Read more
Obsidian's Avowed
A long-awaited RPG release hits PC Game Pass Day One this month
Valheim cheats and console commands
Valheim cheats: All codes and console commands to wield godly power
A busy medieval tavern
This long-running cozy tavern life sim on Steam just added online multiplayer, so now you can design and run a medieval pub with your pals
A viking battling monsters in Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel.
Diablo 4 meets Vampire Survivors in this clever roguelike that makes every round its own epic viking adventure
Ninja Gaiden 2 Black
This month's PC Game Pass offering features sweet RPGs and brutal actioners from the Far East
A fantasy character aiming a bow while a wizard readies a staff to fight monsters
Enshrouded 1.0 target date and 2025 roadmap revealed, new update arriving today, and dynamic water on the way
Latest in Survival & Crafting
An Enshrouded player in a recreation of Erebor from The Lord of the Rings
Kings under the Mountain! 33 Enshrouded players spent 10,000 hours to recreate this iconic location from The Lord of the Rings
An April Fool's Day Palworld game concept about dating Pals
From Palworld movies to Palworld TV shows: 'Everyone under the sun pitched us every idea you can imagine,' says Pocketpair's communications director
Pacific Drive Endless Expeditions spring 2025 update trailer still - a sexy, tricked-out 1980s station wagon being blasted with magic healing electricity
Pacific Drive developers change their mind: A year after refusing to give it mid-run saves, it's getting mid-run saves
minecraft diamond level sword
Minecraft's never going free-to-play because as it stands it's 'the best deal in the world'
New shaders in Minecraft following Minecraft Live 2025
In the year of our lord 2025, Mojang is finally adding shaders to Minecraft, making reflective lighting and water effects more accessible for all
A dried ghast, a ghastling, and a friendly ghast all smiling
The latest Minecraft Live uncovered the tragic truth of the Nether's most bothersome mob, which has unlocked new levels of guilt
Latest in News
Greedfall 2
Greedfall 2 aims to turn around a disastrous early access launch with a combat overhaul and a big new boat
Nova, a hero from Marvel Comics, smolders at the camera while surrounded by flames.
The team behind Shredder's Revenge has a Marvel beat 'em up on the way with a whopping 15 characters and unsurprisingly gorgeous pixel art
Kinich, a character in Genshin Impact, stands prepared to brawl with an enemy.
'Diabolical': Genshin Impact's English cast gives new VO the cold shoulder after he frames replacing a striking actor as an 'opportunity to carry the flame'
An image of Alan Wake from Alan Wake 2's rock opera-style song, Herald of Darkness, lifting a hand to the sky while the other bundles on his chest.
Epic’s 2025 Spring Sale kicks off with some big discounts on recent hits and a pair of cat-themed giveaways
An army of Grand Cathay, including infantry, cavalry, and warmachines, from the tabletop wargame Warhammer: The Old World.
After a not-so-subtle tease 2 months ago, and 4 years since it was originally announced, Grand Cathay from Total War: Warhammer 3 is finally coming to the tabletop wargame
1X Technologies humanoid robot, the Neo Gamma, standing alongside Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. Huang is wearing an ERL-made studded leather jacket.
Humanoid robot Neo Gamma gifts Nvidia CEO a studded leather jacket and may even be able to one day wash up a cup without dropping it