You can now build your very own Maypole in Valheim

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That's the good news. The bad news is that you're also more likely to get an ass-kicking.

Valheim abyssal harpoon
(Image credit: Iron Gate Studios)

There's a new Valheim patch out today that makes two big changes to the game, in a sort of "good news, bad news" package. First, the good news: Maypoles, which previously could only be found within abandoned villages in the Meadows biome, are now craftable.

This is a nice boon for players because Maypoles provide additional comfort when resting within their range. Comfort impacts the "rested effect," which increases XP gains and health and stamina regeneration rates. The more comfortable you are, the longer you'll benefit from the "rested" boost.

 The bad news, to put it bluntly, is that you're now more likely to have your ass kicked and your stuff wrecked. The patch makes changes to monster AI to make them more likely to attack structures when they can't get their hands on you ("among other things," which sounds ominous), and bosses will no longer run away from you. Greydwarfs are better at throwing now, too.

This is not a greydwarf, by the way. This is a troll. It will mess you up. (Image credit: Iron Gate Studios)

The reaction to the patch on Steam is somewhat mixed. Several users say that greydwarfs are already sufficiently irritating, and that making them more so will only increase the annoyance factor rather than improve the game in any meaningful way. There are also complaints about the pace of "big" updates: Developer Iron Gate pushed back its update roadmap earlier this month, and the first of four updates that had been planned for this year now isn't expected to arrive until later in the summer.

Valheim's 0.155.7 patch is live now. The full patch notes are below.

  • Random save bug-fix (Solves a very unusual case of world corruption caused when shutting down)
  • Monster AI tweaks (More aggressively attacking structures when unable to attack the player among other things)
  • Open container fix (Fixes issue where you had to click a container multiple times to open it in multiplayer)
  • Taught Greydwarfs to throw better
  • Event trigger tweaks (Wolf event only triggers after Bonemass has been killed, Moder army can trigger in mountains etc.)
  • Long forgotten Blob event enabled
  • SFX volume setting fix (Used wrong DB conversion)
  • Maypole enabled (Happy midsummer!)
  • AI flee behaviour tweaks (Bosses don’t run from you anymore)
Andy Chalk
Andy Chalk
US News Lead

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.