Modding has always been an intrinsic part of PC gaming. If a game is good enough and manages to garner a community around it, there will always be people willing to tinker with its structure and try to modify it. Such the case with Valheim as well. Its large popularity means that there are some quite interesting mods already available to try out. If you want to check some of these cool creations and are wondering how to install Valheim mods, we will guide you through the steps.
Prerequisites
There are a few steps that you need to make in order to be able to run mods in the Viking survival game.
- Backup your saved files: the first and most important step. Modding is not officially supported by the developers, so make a backup before you start messing around with the game. You can find said files in C:\Users\<username>\AppData\LocalLow\IronGate\Valheim . Copy the whole folder, so if anything goes south (as it sometimes does), you will be able to restore your world and character.
- Download BepInEx pack for Valheim. This is a framework that allows modding of the game, so it is absolutely necessary to have. After you download the zip, place the files in your Valheim install folder and you are good to go.
- Download the game’s Unstripped DLLs: that’s another piece that you need in order to install Valheim mods. It is highly advised to use Vortex in order to install these files as the mod manager creates its own temp folder and does not override any of the game’s original DLLs. If you do not want to use this software, the page has detailed steps on how to apply the new DDLs yourself.
- Speaking of Vortex, it is recommended that you use it when installing mods. You can download it from its Nexus page. When you run it, the software will detect which games installed on your PC can be managed. Select Valheim and then specify its install folder(for example C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Valheim). When done, start the game via Vortex instead of Steam.
Installing Mods
We are finally up to the good part, and it’s time to download and install some mods. Head to the Nexus game page and pick up something of your liking. You will be presented with two options on how to download the mod: manual or via Vortex.
- To install Valheim mods manually, download whichever file you like, and place it in <Valheim install folder>\BepInEx\plugins. If you have applied all prerequisites mentioned above, the mod will be active the next time you run the game.
- To use Vortex, simply click on the relevant button, and it will automatically start the application. Installing mods via Vortex is recommended rather than manually doing so. For one, you can easily determine via its GUI what mods you actually have applied instead of looking in the plugins folder. Disabling and deleting unwanted mods is also far easier since Vortex “knows” which files to remove, so there is no risk anything is deleted by mistake. Its GUI will also show when there is a newer version of a mod and will warn you if there are any file conflicts.
Applying Texture Packs
Lastly, a few words about texture packs: while it is usually recommended to use Vortex to install Valheim mods, it is better to do it manually for textures. To put it simply: Vortex adds these files to the wrong folder. There are two steps you need to take in order to apply such packs.
- Install the Custom Textures mod. This can be done via Vortex. The mod allows for custom textures to be used in Valheim.
- For a specific pack, download it manually, then unzip it to: <Valheim install folder>\BepInEx\plugins\CustomTextures. You can also open each texture file(they are png) and pick and choose what will be applied to the game.
Conclusion
Valheim is one of the most exciting games released so far this year. While official mod support is still but a dream, this should not stop you from trying out some interesting creations. Following the above steps will make the install process easier, which in term will help you get to the good stuff faster. Happy modding!
Maybeth
The game is great but gets incredibly tedious after a few hours, due to the huge amount of repetition required! Smelting, chopping wood, farming etc. requires a thousand steps over and over again. The mods are invaluable in automating a lot of the boring stuff. But now “hearth and home” has broken Bepinex again – what now?
Gondar Van Der Valheim
This was actually extremely helpful.
Thanks!