Valheim is available now on Steam with Early Access and it’s the hit of 2021 that no-one expects. The game puts players deep into the shoes of Norsemen with the ability to build settlements, explore and conquer in co-op. Its popularity though comes with its fair share of criticism as its performance issues are making its playtime a rough patch. We have gathered some of the most notable problems in Valheim right now like crashes and performance issues. However, you should consider that Early Access means that the game is still in development and the casual issues are to be expected. With that in mind, take a look at some fixes below.
Valheim Crashes at Startup
Crashing at startup is a common issue with video games and Valheim is no exception. It’s mainly because most of the time it’s not an issue of the game is self. More like, it’s your software or hardware whose the culprit. The first thing you can do to fix the issue is whitelist Valheim from your anti-virus program and firewall to ensure that security won’t interfere with the game. Now you make sure to run the game as an administrator to add another layer of security-proof to your try.
If this didn’t work then you might want to check if you have any pending updates for your Windows version. Install them if necessary. Do the same with your GPU drivers to make sure that your graphics are up to par with Valheim.
Low FPS / Poor Performance
Valheim has issues with low FPS and performance right now. As it is a fact that a game in Early Access will have some issues with its performance, there are some things you can try to minimize the problem. For starters, take a look at your GPU drivers and install any new updates if available.
If this doesn’t make your FPS better then go ahead and open your graphics card software and disable some of the most demanding settings like V-Sync. More specifically, we want the game to run at the best performance so do your settings accordingly. In addition, disable any third-party layering programs that might affect the game’s performance, even if it’s your beloved Discord.
Dedicated Valheim Server Not Appearing
Players report that upon creating their own dedicated servers, they cannot connect to them. The first thing you can try is to see the port you are currently using for your server and add +1 to its number. Then try reconnecting. Some fans report that adding the server to favorites through Steam and retrying the connection after a few times will finally result in you joining the server. It goes without saying the creator of the server must be online for you to be able to join. If the above workarounds don’t work then our best bet is to do a host reboot to your server and try joining it again after the reset is done.
Disconnected from Dedicated Valheim Server
While we don’t have a sure workaround for this error, a user on Reddit has offered players a rather unconventional way to make it go away entirely. Many players have confirmed that this fix works so you can try it yourself and see if you get lucky too:
We couldn’t see my friend’s dedicated server at internal port 2456 when we forwarded the ports. We realized that when we add the server in the steam server page that we needed to use 2457 at the end of the ip address. So, we thought instead of forwarding internal port 2456, we’ll instead try 2457. Once we restart the server script we could finally see the server.
Game Freezing
Watching your game freeze in specific areas sure is a hit in the gut. Even more, if you find out that the workaround you can try is verifying the game’s files. To do so, right-click on the game’s name and select Properties. Next, go to Local Files and then Verify the integrity of game files.
Be patient until the game’s files are verified and try launching the game again. If it still freezes, then go ahead and whitelist the game from your anti-virus program and firewall, if you haven’t already. If those didn’t work, then your best bet is to redownload the game. Or, you can contact the game’s support and have the team find a solution to your issue, if available.
Camera and Controls Issue
Players are reporting that after connecting a gamepad on their PC in order to play Valheim, their camera and controls are out of order. The developer team is looking into the issue right now. The only workaround you can try in this case is disconnecting the gamepad altogether and use your regular keyboard and mice until a fix is ready.
.dll Errors
If you are getting error messages containing file names with the extension.dll, you have one universal fix that might help you run Valheim without problems. To do so, you’ll need to go to Microsoft’s download page and download the latest x64 and x86 versions. Install both of them and try running the game again with administrator rights.
If you find yourself stuck in crashes even after doing that, try running the game straight from its file executable with administrator rights. If this doesn’t work, then your best bet is to search the net for specific .dll errors or contact the game’s support for a personalized solution.
Valheim developers have released a list of known issues that they are working on right now. This includes:
- Can’t find the server in the server list
- Connection Issues
- Crashing
- Syncing on multiplayer servers
- Select World – Load error
- Character deletion
These are all the crashes, errors, and performance drops we could find in Valheim right now. At least, the ones that have workarounds. Valheim is a great game even in Early Access and giving it the time to evolve will payout in the long run. If you experience any issues that exceed the classic fixes, you should contact the developer team, as they are open to tickets and have someone help you out with your issue.
