'Valheim' Preview: Essential Weapon Tweaks Are Coming In 'Hearth And Home' Update

With roughly one week left until launch, Iron Gate uploaded its final preview of the “Hearth and Home” update for “Valheim,” the hit Viking survival game that took gaming by storm earlier this year.

The “Hearth and Home” update will be bringing in some more essential tweaks to weapons and combat to make “Valheim” more interesting beyond new food items, home décor and building pieces.

In its short preview, Iron Gate said that the bow and the two-handed axe weapons were getting balanced to make weapon selection healthier.

Since“Valheim’s” release, players have been using bows against every enemy in the game simply due to how powerful these weapons are without putting users at much risk.

In “Hearth and Home,” bows will have longer draw times to prevent players from snap-shotting enemies. This reduced draw time will be especially noticeable for players who have maxed their in-game bow skill.

Stamina consumption while drawing bows will be reduced, however. This is meant to give players more time to line up their shots without draining their entire stamina bar. It also goes hand-in-hand with the increased draw time, which will make bow stamina consumption remain relatively the same as in the current build of the game.

Meanwhile, the two-handed axe will get a buff to make it more usable. This weapon has been largely unused by players since “Valheim’s” release due to its incredibly slow swing speed that leaves players vulnerable to counter-attacks.

In “Hearth and Home,” the two-handed axe will get its wind-up speed decreased, making the weapon slightly faster. Stagger damage and AoE capabilities are also getting buffed to make the two-handed axe the premier weapon type for crowd control against hordes of enemies.

Despite the buff, the weapon will still be on the slow side, ultimately retaining its niche as the weapon of choice for players who prefer a more tactical approach to combat.

Iron Gate mentioned that every weapon in the game was tweaked for the “Hearth and Home” update, so players can expect their favorite weapons to feel a bit different, for better or for worse, once the “Valheim’s” first major update arrives this Sept. 16.