Valheim Mods After 1.0 — What Works, What Does Not, and the Crossplay Tradeoff

The framework has not changed — BepInEx still runs everything

Valheim has no official mod support (per Iron Gate’s 1.0 FAQ), so there is no official mod API. The entire mod ecosystem runs through BepInEx — a Unity mod loader that injects plugin assemblies into the game runtime. Every BepInEx mod you install comes from the Thunderstore or Nexus Mods repositories, and essentially every mod depends on the canonical denikson/BepInExPack_Valheim package (v5.4.x as of 1.0).

How to install: Use a free mod manager such as r2modman (ModManager) or Gale — both handle dependency resolution automatically and keep your installs organised. Do not install BepInEx manually unless you have a specific reason.

The crossplay / mods tradeoff — you can have one, not both

This is the single most important thing to know about Valheim modding in 2026:

Crossplay and BepInEx mods are mutually exclusive.

When crossplay is enabled, Valheim uses PlayFab networking instead of Steam networking. BepInEx hooks into the Steam networking path — it cannot hook into PlayFab. The result: you can install mods, you can load into the world, and then no one on the modded session can connect with PlayFab clients. There is no workaround, no compatibility patch, no config toggle that fixes this. It is built into how the two networking layers work.

Practical implications:

• All Steam friends, no console players: Disable crossplay, use BepInEx freely.
• Mixed group (PC + Xbox/PS5/Switch 2): Keep crossplay on, run vanilla only.
• Dedicated server with mods: Remove the -crossplay flag from startup, tell all PC players to disable crossplay in settings. Console players will not join this server at all.

This is not a temporary 1.0 problem. The BepInEx / PlayFab incompatibility is architectural — it comes from how the two networking layers are built, not from a 1.0 regression. Iron Gate’s 1.0 FAQ confirms there is no official mod support (no mod API, no Workshop on PC, no mod support on consoles), but it does not promise or rule out any change to the crossplay/mods relationship, so treat it as a constraint to plan around rather than one you can count on being lifted.

Valheim Plus has been superseded

Valheim Plus was the monolithic all-in-one mod that bundled dozens of tweaks — shared map, stamina adjustments, inventory management, build camera improvements — into one configurable package. It had millions of downloads and was recommended by nearly every early-access mod guide.

Status in 2026: The original ValheimPlus package is deprecated and has not been maintained for 1.0. The maintained successor is the Grantapher fork (ValheimPlus_Grantapher_Temporary), which published a 1.0-compatible release in September 2026. Early reports on the fork’s compatibility were mixed, so if you depend on it, test it on a copy of your world first. The broader trend, though, is that nearly every feature Valheim Plus offered now exists as an individually maintained standalone BepInEx plugin that tends to update within days of a Valheim patch. Well-known replacements include:

• Inventory and slots: ExtraSlots (shudnal)
• Crafting from nearby chests: Craft From Containers
• Building camera and snap: Gizmo (ComfyMods) + PlanBuild (MathiasDecrock)
• Plant anything: PlantEverything (Advize)

Check each mod’s Thunderstore page for the current maintained version and whether it is marked 1.0 / Deep North compatible — package names and authors have shifted between versions.

1.0 launched — expect mod breakage for a week

Iron Gate shipped 1.0 and both subsequent hotfixes within 48 hours. Every major Valheim update breaks some mods temporarily, and 1.0 was a bigger-than-usual update — Unity engine upgrade + new biome + new networking layer.

The pattern after a major launch like 1.0:

• QoL mods (extra slots, plant-everything, crafting-from-chests) tend to be updated first, since they patch less game code.
• Bigger combat / loot / progression overhauls (Warfare, EpicLoot, etc.) take longer because they hook into more of the game.
• Some mods that touch networking or low-level systems may lag further behind the initial update.

We are not publishing a ranked “best mods for 1.0” list because compatibility changes constantly in the days after a major patch. The reliable takeaways are: standalone BepInEx plugins have largely replaced Valheim Plus, and crossplay is the hard blocker for modded sessions. For an up-to-date list, check the Thunderstore Valheim page and each mod’s own page for its 1.0 / Deep North compatibility status.

Server vs. client side — which mods need everybody to install

Valheim mods fall into two categories:

• Client-side only: Cosmetics, UI tweaks, minimap — these only need to be installed by the player who wants them. Server does not need them, other players do not need them.
• Server-side or both: Combat rebalances, loot tables, crafting rule changes — these need to be installed on the server and every joining client. If one player has a combat mod the others do not, you get desync.

Before installing a mod, check its Thunderstore page for the Side field. It will say Client, Server, or Both.

---

Links

• crossplay — how crossplay works and where it stops
• dedicated-server-guide — setting up a Linux or Windows server with the -crossplay flag
• console-commands — vanilla devcommands (F5 console), which modded servers often re-enable via devcommands plugins