Valheim is a gorgeous survival and sandbox video game developed by the Swedish developer Iron Gate Studio. Steam started offering early access to the game on February 2nd, 2021. It is available for Windows and Linux. Currently, the company has not stated if they will release the game for other platforms yet. As a battle-slain warrior, the Valkyries have ferried your soul to Valheim, the 10th Norse world. Unfortunately, it is besieged by creatures of chaos and ancient enemies of the gods. In gameplay, you are the newest custodian of this in-between world. Tasked with slaying Odin’s ancient rivals, it is your job to bring order to Valheim. The right VPN can help reduce ping times and improve lag. It will also protect you against DDoS attacks. Here are a few of our favorites.
| Rank | VPN Service | Our Score | Server Locations | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | 9.8 | 160 |  |
| 2 |  | 9.4 | 87 | |
| 3 |  | 9.2 | 95 | |
| 4 |  | 9.0 | 110 | |
| 5 |  | 8.8 | 73 | |
Of course, the Swedish designer knows quite a bit about the Viking culture and uses that knowledge to make a fun game. They have also made the game very interactive and a place where you can do many different things. It is definitely worth checking out. However, we suggest you connect to a VPN for several reasons.
How to Connect to a Valheim Server through a VPN
Since this game is only available for Windows and Linux, most users will play the Windows version. Here, we’ll use ExpressVPN for the example of how to use a VPN service to play Valheim online. You’ll want to start this process by downloading the VPN client. While the game is only available for Windows and Linux, ExpressVPN offers Windows, Mac, and Linux custom apps. Additionally, they offer mobile apps for iOS and Android devices.
After you’ve had a chance to download and install the software, go ahead and connect. Launch the ExpressVPN client and select a server location. Here is the step-by-step process when using their Windows client.
Since many gamers like to connect to servers in the US, we used that country for our guide. ExpressVPN has a large network of servers located all over the world. For early access to games, we often recommend connecting to a server in Australia.- Once you open it up, we suggest you let the client select your protocol. Typically, it is set to auto by default. If you want to test out different protocols, we suggest trying Lightway (UDP) or IKEv2 for the best performance.
- Click the big round connect button. After a few seconds, you’ll see the circle around the button turn green. There will also be a message letting you know the “VPN is ON.”
- You now have an IP address in the USA, as far as anyone can tell online. As such, you can reach any site as if you were sitting there. The same would be true if you connected to a server in the UK or anywhere else in the world.
Since many gamers like to connect to servers in the US, we used that country for our guide. ExpressVPN has a large network of servers located all over the world. For early access to games, we often recommend connecting to a server in Australia.It is just that easy to do. Now that you have an IP address from an ExpressVPN server in the US, you can game, browse the Internet or watch shows as if you were actually there. Connecting to a server in the UK would give you full access to geo-blocked or censored sites there as well. The same is true for any country.
As you can probably tell by now, a good VPN opens access to content around the world and will help you play games like Valheim. For those outside the US, the service can help you access popular services like Netflix, Hulu, and Pandora. You’ll still need an account for services like Netflix, but the VPN will help you watch US television shows and movies on Netflix as if you were sitting in the United States or any other region you would like to access.
Valheim Game Highlights
Now, we’ll take a look at some of the game specifics. Those include:
- A huge and procedurally-generated world – This feature allows you to explore mystical lands from forests to meadows to mountains. Each area has its own legendary creatures and wildlife. Why not enjoy the beauty and graphics of the game?
- Primordial boss summoning – You’ll be able to summon and defeat legendary creatures to gain trophies. By doing so, you can progress and craft new items.
- Intuitive crafting – You’ll be able to craft weapons, armor, food, and of course, mead.
- Flexible house and base building system – What Viking experience would be complete without Viking buildings? After a hard day in the field, why not relax in player-built mead halls? You can also build farms, settlements, outposts, castles, and more.
- Shipbuilding – Whether you want to build a flimsy raft or an imposing warship, you can build some of the most legendary vessels to help you conquer the seas and explore new lands.
- Co-op PvE from 2-10 players – Even though being a solo Viking can sound like fun in theory; the truth is that Vikings usually depended on their friends for help. Valheim supports independent, player-hosted servers and unlimited world creation.
- Dedicated servers – This fun feature allows you to run a persistent server if you want.
- Punitive dodge and block-based combat – If you are familiar with the game Dark Souls, it has that style of combat and punishment for death.
As you can see, you have many different options to take advantage of. It really depends on what you want to do. Once you start playing, you’ll quickly find out why this game that is only $20 in the US has more than 115k reviews, and they are overwhelmingly positive. Of course, no game is perfect, and with its popularity, you can run into issues from time to time. That includes server lag if you are not on a dedicated server. By connecting to a VPN, you can easily switch locations to provide yourself and your friends with better speed.
Other reasons to connect to a VPN include protection from distributive denial of service (DDoS) attacks. If you are not aware, those can quickly shut down any gaming you plan on doing. Since those are server-based, you can escape the people that want to cause chaos on different servers in the game. That way, you can enjoy all of the great aspects of the game as intended.