Valheim Ten Vikings, every platform
Join codes, dedicated servers, crossplay, and why Discord still matters.
Valheim is built for a raid, not a solo screenshot. 1.0 keeps online co-op at 1–10 players with full crossplay across Steam (Windows, Mac, Linux), Xbox One, Xbox Series, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch 2. The $29.99 purchase is per platform store; Early Access owners on Steam updated free. This page is how you actually get ten people into one seed without losing the longship.
Agree on a Getting Started world first. Iron Gate wants a fresh 1.0 map so the Deep North generates. Decide world modifiers (metal through portals, raid rate) before anyone hosts. For who tanks, who sails, and who holds Ember Charges, use Players.
Host from the menu
On any client, pick a character, pick or create a world, and start the server from the play menu. Crossplay is on by default; leave it on unless you are loading PC mods that require Steam-only networking. Once the world is up, open the pause menu and copy the join code. Friends on every platform go to Join Game → join / add by code, type it, then enter the password if you set one.
A player-hosted world dies when the host logs off. Corpse markers, fermenters, and tame moose wait. That is fine for a weekend raid. It is a bad idea for a ten-person guild that plays in shifts. The host’s CPU is the server: if they live in a wood hut on an orange beam, everyone else rubber-bands too. Put the host in a simple Meadows hall, not in Kall’s prison.
Passwords should not contain the world name; the dedicated tool rejects that combo, and it is a bad habit on client hosts too. Share the code in Discord, not in a public Reddit post, unless you enjoy random griefers in your fermenters.
Dedicated server (Steam tool)
The dedicated server is a separate PC app (Steam tool, app 896660 / SteamCMD). Consoles cannot host a dedicated process; they can only join. Run it on a box that stays on, enable crossplay (-crossplay) or console friends will never see it, set -name, -world, -password, and -port (default 2456). The server prints a six-digit join code. That code can change on restart — copy the new one before you ping the group.
Crossplay traffic goes through the PlayFab-style relay. You usually do not port-forward for console players. Steam-only servers still use the old UDP ports and will not list for PS5 or Switch 2. Mods and crossplay do not mix: BepInEx stays on a Steam-only world. If half the raid is on Xbox, you play vanilla.
Admins need an extra file for admin Steam IDs (or the current 1.0 identifier list) before kick, ban, and server-side console commands work. Cheats still disable achievements on the character that runs devcommands. Dedicated boxes do not magically grant god mode to everyone; they just keep the seed online.
Join codes, caps, and platforms
The cap is ten in a player-hosted session and on a dedicated world. Offline sleeping characters still occupy beds; they do not occupy the ten slots the way an active client does. If an eleventh friend is at the door, someone logs off. 1.0 did not raise the cap for PS5 or Switch 2.
PC players can also add a server by IP on Steam-only dedicated boxes. Console players cannot. Always have a code. If a code fails after a host crash, regenerate it from the pause menu or the server overview. Version mismatches (one client still on an Early Access build) are the other common error — everyone updates to 1.0 together.
Save files live on the host or the dedicated box. Back up worlds_local before you sail north. A corrupted 1.0 Deep North chunk is funnier when you have yesterday’s copy. Characters live on each player’s machine and can enter any world that will have them, which is how a veteran viking joins a fresh seed with old skills.
Voice, PvP, and how to play as ten
There is no built-in voice chat. Use Discord (or the console party chat of your choice). Bind Valheim push-to-talk so it does not fight the block key. Type Enter for in-game text when someone is in a crypt with the map open.
PvP is a toggle, not the default social mode. Leave it off unless you are running a fight night. Shared chests are community property; personal chests exist if you need a lockbox. Assign jobs: one sailor on the longship, one builder on integrity colors, one cook on the food kettle, one portal mule. Boss nights from the boss guide go smoother when the corpse-runner is named before the offering.
Play the same biome as a group. A friend in Ashlands gear dragging two Meadows newbies into a Gammeltroll is how join codes get wasted. Sit for Rested together, eat together, sail the ore together. The game is generous with ten slots. It is not generous with uncoordinated portals into a blizzard.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the most common Viking questions.
How many players can join a Valheim world?
One to ten, on a client host or a dedicated server. The cap did not change for 1.0.
Can PS5, Xbox, Switch 2, and PC play together?
Yes. Full crossplay is on in 1.0. Share a join code and keep crossplay enabled. Consoles cannot host the dedicated server app.
Does Valheim have voice chat?
No. Use Discord or platform party chat. In-game chat is Enter on keyboard; see Controls.
Where do I put cheats and admin commands?
Client console is F5 after enabling it in settings. Dedicated servers need an admin list. Commands and achievement warnings are on Codes.
Should our group start a new 1.0 world?
Iron Gate recommends it so the Deep North generates. Set world modifiers before you create the seed.