Maybe they're going for the speed vs. damage aspect commonly associated with the two.
Bows need a damage nerf then.

Having a crossbow seems more plausible than having to fight an electric deer, a treant, an ooze on steroids, a frost dragon and a giant crawling half-corpse raining hellfire.

Gotta say i am utterly surprised at these responses.

So i guess crossbows are next. Sweet.

I read often in these forums people complain or discuss which items/weapons comes from which periods and how this and that doesn't hold up...
you're talking about stuff and events that took place in midgård (earth, our world).
but...
this isn't midgård, this is valheim, another world... so every discussion about bronze, iron, this and that weapon and vikings used these or that etc... are all invalid... because this is valheim

=)

Ok then i want a damned lightsaber then!

Why tf would they need to add a presumably even stronger ranged weapon to the game? Bow is already broken.

Originally posted by Lost Latios:

That sounds...awfully out of style. There is no evidence suggesting they ever used crossbows. I mean if they want to add them fine. Just seems strange to me is all.

Same can be said about using huge stonesblocks for building, horns in helmets, not to mention the plathora of magical weapons, potions, armor etc.
This is a viking inspired Fantasy game, with a huge emphasis on fantasy. :D

So, with fantasy, I suppose that crossbows will be quickly reloaded while we're kiting bosses too. :-)

Crossbows were invented in BC times so them having crossbows is supper plausible.

We are getting crossbows? HUZZAH!! Don't recall Norsemen using glowing crystal two handed axes so I don't have an issue with crossbows. More ways to kill our enemys the better!

Vikings didn't use fishing rods either, yet here we are.

I believe they did ,when plundering what is now France and England , after settleing , adopting , via other means, mercenaries , royal guard ect . Not in Scandinavia though. Could be wrong.

The lead dev Richard tweeted a picture of his Valheim character holding a crossbow. Id said its a little more than a rumor

That sounds...awfully out of style. There is no evidence suggesting they ever used crossbows. I mean if they want to add them fine. Just seems strange to me is all.

probably had a few looted from raids. Possibly more of a trophy than used.
To be fair, they probably didn't have toxic glow in the dark recurves made of magic tree slime either.

Originally posted by Lost Latios:

That sounds...awfully out of style. There is no evidence suggesting they ever used crossbows. I mean if they want to add them fine. Just seems strange to me is all.

It really doesn't make sense and i wouldn't have even posted this if i didn't get this from a couple of people off of some other forums who are inexplicably in the know when it comes to movies, games, and wrestling and mma.

Couple of notables were Terminator Salvation being PG WAAAAY before a trailer was released. Undertaker(wrestler) losing in Wrestlemania several months before it happened. Deadpool being rated R right after it was announced the script was done.

These guys have been 100% from my viewpoint but this crossbow thing doesn't really make sense to me. Just want to be clear i'm not making things up because i know there are some people who do that for whatever inconceivable reason.