Valheim gets cross-play well ahead of its console launch

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And it's joining Xbox Game Pass tomorrow

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(Image credit: Iron Gate)

Valheim now has cross-play, well before its official console launch near year.

Yesterday on September 27, developer Iron Gate published a brand new blog on Steam, announcing the immediate arrival of cross-play for all platforms. As of right now then, Valheim players can group up across Steam, Microsoft, and Mac devices for co-op adventuring.

If you're a Steam player grouping up with other Steam players, Iron Gate revealed, there won't be any changes to the way you'd normally go about teaming up. If you're looking to play with friends on other platforms though, you'll need a special join code, which is generated for you.

So far, these are all the Valheim platforms that exist for Iron Gate's Viking adventure game. As the developer announced earlier this year however, we'll finally see Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and Xbox One launches of Valheim at some point during the early portion of 2023.

This means that, when the console launch of Valheim eventually rolls around, console players will immediately be able to get in on the action with their PC counterparts. Additionally, when the console version does launch, it'll be available on Xbox Game Pass on day one.

In fact, this is actually perfect timing for the introduction of cross-play. Valheim joins Xbox Game Pass for PC players tomorrow on September 29, meaning it's bound to have a brand new influx of players via the subscription service, many of which could well want to team up with friends on different platforms.

Check out our Valheim Mistlands update guide for a complete look at the future roadmap for the game. 

Hirun Cryer
Hirun Cryer
Freelance Writer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.