Valheim released into Early Access because the solo dev “couldn’t afford to keep working on it”
By (Image credit: Coffee Stain Studios)
The entire Early Access publishing model has numerous advantages and disadvantages to contemplate, and some contend that the framework is susceptible to exploitation by developers and publishers for various motives, but at least for Valheim creator Iron Gate, it was vital.
In a conversation with GamesIndustry, Iron Gate CEO Richard Svensson mentions that Valheim would not have attained nearly the level of success it has enjoyed without Steam Early Access. “Even if we had a massive budget and developed the game in secrecy for five years leading up to the release, we would never have been able to connect with the number of players that we have,” says Svensson.
“Having the game available and the ability to collaborate with the active community is truly the sole method by which Valheim could have achieved its current level of success.”
While Svensson views Valheim’s Early Access debut as critical to the game’s achievement, it was only ever launched as an Early Access title because Svensson “lacked the funds to continue its development” and Early Access seemed to be “the only feasible option at the moment.” Clearly, that risk was tremendously rewarding as Valheim is now an undeniable powerhouse within the survival genre, boasting 17 million units sold since its 1.0 launch in September 2026.
Nevertheless, Valheim was in Early Access for over five years, which is significantly longer than the typical 21 months that most titles require before their 1.0 updates (as per GameDiscoverCo statistics referenced by GI). Svensson claims this is because the scale of the project expands with each new update released.
“We have also consistently aimed to maintain a relatively small team, but nonetheless, the production scope now is monumental compared to what it was at the period of the Early Access launch,” he remarks. “At that time, when we created a new biome, it was essentially the same concept with different aesthetics, but currently, it’s just so much more.
