Quick answer
Official facts confirmedBack up what matters, separate mods, and decide on your world before launch.
Preserve valued world and character saves, copy dedicated-server files and launch scripts, disable unsupported mods, leave future-biome areas unexplored if keeping an old world, and agree on the group plan. Do not farm rumored Deep North materials or use unofficial world-upgrade tools as a default.
Low-risk checklist
Do these before the update
- 1
Preserve recoverable copies
Keep a copy of valued world and character data before first loading them in a major update. Use your platform's normal save management rather than an unverified conversion tool.
- 2
Separate unsupported mods
Disable mods and the mod loader before trying the update. Iron Gate does not guarantee mod compatibility.
- 3
Choose the world strategy
Old saves continue, but new content generates properly only in unexplored areas. Preserve first, then decide whether to continue or restart.
- 4
Plan for the download
Allow roughly 4.3 GiB on most platforms, with different official figures for Xbox One and the Microsoft/Mac stores.
If you keep an old world
Stop exploring toward areas you expect to revisit after 1.0. The official rule supports unexplored territory; it does not give a universal safe radius or promise that generated land will be rebuilt.
Keep an untouched backup and start a separate fresh 1.0 world. That preserves the build without forcing the new playthrough to inherit every old map decision.
Dedicated servers
Preserve the server, not just the client
- Copy the world save and its backups before the update.
- Copy your edited start script; Steam updates can overwrite the supplied original script.
- Stop the server cleanly with Ctrl+C before copying or changing files.
- Record whether the server uses Steam networking or the
-crossplaybackend. - Do not assume a modded server and clients will remain compatible on day one.
Do not prepare for rumors
| Question | Status | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| Farm rumored materials | Wait | Final recipes and progression requirements are not confirmed. |
| Explore the future biome | Avoid | If keeping an old world, explored terrain reduces where new generation can occur. |
| Use a world-upgrade mod | Not advised | No unofficial converter is endorsed or guaranteed by Iron Gate. |
| Delete the old world | Unnecessary | Old saves remain playable; preserve before deciding. |
Version & sources
Sources & what may change
- Applies to
- Preparing for Valheim 1.0 on September 9, 2026
- Last verified
- September 4, 2026
- When to check again
- Final patch notes and support updates may change the preparation steps for your platform.