Iron Gate released Valheim 1.0 on 9 September 2026 (Valheim 1.0 Has Arrived! on Steam). It brought the Deep North, the last biome, with more than 40 new weapons, four new armour sets, over ten new creatures and a final boss, Kall Fimbulbringer. The same day Valheim came out on PS5 and Nintendo Switch 2. We first wrote this post as a checklist for the weeks before launch. This is the updated version for running a server now that 1.0 is out.
One thing up front about who can join. Valheim itself has crossplay between all platforms, according to Iron Gate's 1.0 FAQ. Our Valheim server hosting runs the official 1.0 dedicated server from €6.40 a month, and it accepts Windows (Steam) players only: crossplay with Xbox, Game Pass, PS5 and Switch 2 does not work on our servers due to a platform networking issue, so we keep it off.
What 1.0 Changed for Servers
- Worlds are saved as folders now. A world used to be one
.dbfile and one.fwlfile. Since 1.0 each world lives in its own folder, split into many small chunk files, and the game only rewrites the chunks that changed. Iron Gate introduced this in the 0.221.13 test patch to make saving faster and corrupt saves less likely. Backups get their own folders too. - Old worlds are converted on first load. When 1.0 loads a world in the old format, it makes a backup first and then converts it. Nothing happened to existing saves at launch: the FAQ says they stay where you left them and you can keep playing them.
- The Deep North fills in on unexplored ground. An older world does get the new content, but the FAQ says biome generation only works properly in areas nobody has explored yet. Iron Gate still recommends starting a fresh world for the best experience.
- Mods had to catch up. Iron Gate has no official mod support and said before launch that it could not guarantee any mod would work on 1.0. There is no mod support on consoles and no Steam Workshop.
- Still 1 to 10 players. The FAQ keeps the same player limit as before.
If You Brought an Old World Into 1.0
1. Keep your own copy of the old files. The game's conversion backup is a good safety net, but keep the original .db and .fwl pair somewhere outside the worlds folder as well.
2. Check your item stands and armour stands. Converting an older world in the first days of 1.0 could strip the upgrade levels and variants from items on item stands and armour stands. Iron Gate fixed the conversion in patch 1.0.12 (out on Steam on 11 September), so worlds converted since then are fine. If yours was converted before that, the 1.0.15 patch notes give two ways out. You can restore the backup the game made when it first converted the world, which throws away everything done since. Or you open a copy of that backup, put the affected items on your character, and carry them back to your main world.
3. Back up the whole folder from now on. Since 1.0 a backup or a move needs every file in the world's folder, not a single file (the Valheim Wiki's dedicated server page says the same).
Check the Server Version Before Updating
Iron Gate released patch 1.0.17 on 6 October 2026. It fixes a rare save bug that could remove objects from parts of a world when a large world save chunk file was split into smaller files. The patch notes do not say that objects already lost will be restored.
Before updating your Space-Node Valheim server, keep a separate backup of the complete world folder, check the server's installed version and review compatibility for any mods you use. After the update, check that the world loads and saves correctly and inspect important builds before inviting players back. These are checks for your own world, not a guarantee against data loss. If a player gets "Incompatible version" after a patch, our version mismatch guide shows how to tell which side is behind.
Iron Gate says rollout to every platform may take a few days, while crossplay remains functional during that rollout. That statement describes the game. Space-Node currently accepts Windows (Steam) players only, as the product page explains. Do not assume that this patch enables console crossplay on a Space-Node server.
Mods on 1.0
If your server runs BepInEx mods, check each mod's Thunderstore page for a 1.0 compatible release before you add it back, and keep the mod list on the server and on every player's PC the same. Our mod sync guide covers that part. A vanilla server has none of this to worry about.
Memory Headroom
RAM use depends mostly on how many areas are loaded at the same time. The Valheim Wiki puts each active area at roughly 100 to 300 MB on top of the world itself. A group that splits up between the Deep North, a Mörkhalla dungeon and the home base loads more areas than one that sticks together. If your server was already close to its memory limit before 1.0, give it more room. Our Valheim server requirements guide has the sizing.
FAQ
Do I have to wipe my world for 1.0? No. Old saves keep working, and 1.0 converts them to the new format on first load after making a backup. Iron Gate does recommend a fresh world if you want the full 1.0 experience.
Will my existing world get Deep North content? In areas nobody has explored yet, yes. Where your players have already been, the new generation does not work properly, which is why Iron Gate suggests starting over.
How do I put a 1.0 world on a dedicated server? Upload the whole world folder into the server's worlds folder and set the server's world name to match it exactly. Our world generator guide walks through it, including how to use a particular seed.
Can PS5, Switch 2 or Xbox players join my server? Not on our servers. The game has crossplay between all platforms, but our Valheim dedicated servers accept Windows (Steam) players only. Console players can still play with PC friends in a player-hosted world. Our Valheim crossplay explainer has the details.
Where do I start with the Deep North itself? Beat Fader first. Our progression guide covers the Deep North crafting chain, and bosses in order covers Kall Fimbulbringer.
Running 1.0 on Space-Node
Our Valheim servers run the official Valheim dedicated server on NVMe SSD with DDoS protection included, backup slots in the panel for your world files, and FTP access for uploading a 1.0 world folder or an older .fwl and .db pair.