Valheim 1.0: how to keep your old world save

Your old Valheim world still works in version 1.0, which launched on 9 September 2026. Open it as normal and it picks up the new content; your saves stay where you left them. The one limit is the map: new biomes, including the Deep North, only generate properly in land nobody has explored yet. Keep your world if its far north is still uncharted or its history matters to your group. Start a fresh world if you want the full Deep North. Then check achievements, mods and where your save lives before you head back in.

01Choose the right world for Deep North

First, decide what your group wants from 1.0. Your existing saves stay where they were and keep working. It is the sensible option for a server built around a shared settlement, a long-running project or a party that wants to see the new biome without replaying every boss. You don't need to delete a world, transfer a character or buy the game again: 1.0 installs as a normal update for existing owners.

If the Deep North is the reason you're back, check your map first. A pre-update world gets the new content, but biomes only generate properly where nobody has explored. If your group has already charted the far north, start a new world to get the intended terrain; Iron Gate recommends a fresh start for the best experience. Your older settlement keeps working either way: this only affects where new land appears.

02Protect achievement eligibility

Achievements start tracking when the 1.0 version is downloaded, rather than crediting progress earned in Early Access. That means an achievement tied to a boss such as Eikthyr requires a new kill after the update, even for a character that beat that boss many times before. Set expectations before choosing an old world: continuing a mature save is fine, but it does not automatically fill the new achievement list. A fresh playthrough may make those milestones easier to organise, while an existing world remains useful for exploration and building.

Keep cheat use and special items separate from an achievement run. Iron Gate says most devcommands, including spawning items, permanently mark the current character and world as cheated; characters that used cheats before 1.0 are also marked. Spawned items are visibly marked, and picking one up can put an otherwise clean character into a temporary cheated state. The FAQ says eligibility can return after that character discards all cheated inventory items, but hammer-mode also blocks achievements while active. Use a clearly non-cheated character and world if achievements are the priority.

03Pause mods and plan cross-platform play

On PC, give your mods time to catch up. Valheim has no official mod support, and mods need updating for each new version. Before you enable a mod on a returning save, check that its author has released a 1.0-compatible version. On console there are no mods: 1.0 has no console mod support or Steam Workshop.

Finally, distinguish crossplay from cross-platform save sync. Valheim 1.0 supports crossplay across PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2, so friends on those platforms can play together. Your save files stay on the platform where you made them. The one exception: you can reach an Xbox save on PC when you launch the PC copy through the Microsoft Store. Pick the host and the platform your world will live on before the group sets off.