Valheim: How To Play In The Public Test Branch

Game ZXC

Valheim

By Marc Santos

Published Apr 23, 2024

Valheim once shook the gaming industry with its incredible level of polish, enjoyable gameplay, and immaculate vibe back when it was released in 2021. As the game continues to receive new content, developer Iron Gate has decided to open a Public Test Branch where all would-be vikings can dip their toes into what's coming in future updates.

The Public Test Branch features content such as Valheim's Ashlands update. However, players should expect plenty of bugs, balance issues, and other flavors of strangeness during their time in the experimental version of the game. If you're alright with dealing with such potential problems, here's how you can join the PBT.

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How Do You Get On The Valheim Public Test Branch?

Players can enter the experimental branch of the game by pressing a bunch of buttons on their platform of choice. Now that the Ashlands has entered the PBT, players will once again be able to try the new content out early, just like how they did with the Valheim Mistlands update. Here are the steps you need to do to join the PBT:

Before signing up to the Valheim PBT, keep in mind that the test realm exists to help developers find bugs and get feedback from the community. If you encounter game-breaking issues or want to leave your thoughts on the new content, visit Iron Gate's support page and leave a report/comment.

Steam

To join the Valheim PBT on Steam, you will need to opt into it in your Library.

Open Steam and go to your Library.
Right-click on Valheim, then select Properties.
In the Betas tab, click on the drop-down box next to "Beta Participation."
Select the beta version you wish to join.

If you're looking to join the Ashlands beta test, enter "yesimadebackups" in the Private Betas section, then click on Check Code. After this, a new option will then appear in the drop-down box in the Beta Participation section. Click on that, then close the window. Steam will automatically download the latest experimental version of the game for you. If you want to return to the Live version of the game, go back to the Betas tab in the Properties window, then select "None" in the Beta Participation box.