‘Valheim’ future update could nerf the bow and arrow; developer says it’s currently ‘a bit overpowered’

The new survival game “Valheim” continues to gather a large following even though it has only been released for over a month in the Steam Early Access program. While many fans may be wanting to get new content soon, developer Iron Gate Studios appears to be prioritizing fixing the bugs and applying some balancing changes in upcoming updates.

‘Valheim’ developers will balance the bow and arrow in a future update

“Valheim” currently offers a good range of weapons that are useful whether for building structures and hunting creatures. But many players might have been favoring the use of bows and arrows in the game, especially for the level of damage they can inflict. And they might want to keep using these sets of weapons before they get nerfed.

In discussing the immediate future of the game, Iron Gate co-founder Henrik Törnqvist told the Washington Post that they believe the bow and arrow are “probably a bit overpowered” in its current state. “It will probably get nerfed in a later patch,” the developer added. While that may not sound perfect for players who love these weapons, it is overall good news as it hints at balancing changes being included in upcoming updates for “Valheim.”

The interview did not mention if the entire lineup of bows and arrows is getting nerfed or if only select weapons are getting nerfed. There are currently four different kinds of bows and 10 arrows in “Valheim” that have total damage of between 14 to 78. Some of them are more powerful than certain axes.

‘Valheim’ 2021 roadmap: What to expect

Iron Gate reiterated in the same interview that fixing bugs is the developer’s priority. Players will have to be patient and keep in mind that the studio is composed of just five individuals. On the bright side, the studio confirmed it is looking to add new members for programming, animation, and QA as they anticipate an influx of new bugs after the game sold more than five million copies in its first month. Per Steam Charts, the game reached 498,478 for its all-time peak of concurrent players and an average of 245,210 active players for the last 30 days.

Shortly after the launch of “Valheim” in early access, Iron Gate unveiled a 2021 roadmap focused on adding new content to the game. Developers will expand the gameplay elements for house building, exploration and combat, ships, and the completion of the Mistlands biome. However, the developer has yet to announce a timeline for these content updates.