This would-be Jarl is rebuilding Skyrim's Whiterun in Valheim

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Do you make it to the cloud district often? No?

Skyrim Special Edition mod - JK's Skyrim
(Image credit: Bethesda, modded by Jkrojmal and Teabag86)

This year, it'll have been 10 years since we collectively took an arrow to the knee with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. It's somewhat fitting, then, that someone would choose to bring a little piece of the Nordic RPG into this year's Viking-themed phenomenon, Valheim. 

Last week, Redditor Djchieu posted an announcement on the Valheim sub. They were going to build Whiterun, and were looking for handy builders to help them do it. At the time, all they had was a perimeter fence and a bit of landscaping that, if you squinted, might look like a bit like the commercial heart of Skyrim.

Started an attempt at building Whiterun. Looking for some builders who would like to help. I have all the materials you should need. from r/valheim

Since then, Djchieu has posted four more progress updates, building up a little more of Whiterun each day. In today's update, the foundations for the Dragonsreach have been clearly laid down, while a stroll through the front gates shows great progress being made in the Plains District. 

Sorry, Nazeem, we haven't made it to the Cloud District. It's not been built yet.

Whiterun: Update 4 from r/valheim

There's very much still a lot of work to do. But from what's there already, the likeness is clear to see. I'm also a fan of Whiterun's new neighbourhood—Skyrim's city might be set in the middle of a barren valley, but its Valheim adaptation sports a scenic riverside spot. I'm hopeful it'll be done in well enough time to celebrate Skyrim's 10th anniversary this November.

Valheim players have quickly gotten very good at bashing together homes. We spotted some utterly gorgeous homes within the game's first month, and since then, we've seen builds escalate into stunning timber spaceships. It's not all home improvements, mind—while the builders erect ever more impressive structures, some players are using Valheim's contraptions to yeet themselves (and their longboats) across the world.

Natalie Clayton
Natalie Clayton
Features Producer

20 years ago, Nat played Jet Set Radio Future for the first time, and she's not stopped thinking about games since. Joining PC Gamer in 2020, she comes from three years of freelance reporting at Rock Paper Shotgun, Waypoint, VG247 and more. Embedded in the European indie scene and a part-time game developer herself, Nat is always looking for a new curiosity to scream about—whether it's the next best indie darling, or simply someone modding a Scotmid into Black Mesa. She also unofficially appears in Apex Legends under the pseudonym Horizon.