Will Stardew Valley Get Another Big Update After 1.6?

Many years after it was first released in 2016, Stardew Valley is still going strong, with a devoted community of players and a heavy helping of post-launch support, in the form of several minor and major updates that have been added to the game in the years since it first came out. However, after the most recent major update, 1.6, which was originally released in March 2024, some players are wondering when, or if, the game might see a prospective update 1.7.

Over the years, Stardew Valley's post-launch updates, courtesy of creator Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone, have added several major features to the game, including new maps, areas, romance options, and even online multiplayer. The latest major update, 1.6, included new festivals, a new mastery system, and several other features, with minor updates bringing the game to its current version, 1.6.15.

With Barone actively developing another game, Haunted Chocolatier, however, it can be hard to know which update will finally be Stardew Valley's last. As confirmed by Barone in an interview with PC Gamer, there are currently no concrete plans for another major Stardew Valley update. The developer stated that "Nothing is planned but I'm not going to say the book is closed."

So, while it's possible that Stardew Valley will get a version 1.7 in the future, Barone's attention has mostly shifted to Haunted Chocolatier. Although Stardew may continue to receive minor updates, anything further than that is currently unconfirmed.

Since the release of Stardew 1.6, the game has continued to receive minor version updates, which have continued to gradually add gameplay changes, bug fixes, and occasionally, new content, like alternate mine layouts and extra spouse reactions. For the time being, it seems like these minor updates will be all that Stardew players can reasonably expect, as the lack of plans excludes the possibility for a 1.7 update any time soon.

ConcernedApe Hasn't Ruled Out The Possibility Of More Content

Of course, Stardew has been through multiple supposedly "final" major updates up to this point, in a similar fashion to fellow indie title Terraria, and Barone has stated that it "would be foolish" for him to rule out the possibility of an update 1.7 or beyond. Unfortunately, though, while there's the distinct possibility that Stardew will receive at least one more substantial update, the lack of any concrete plans also means that there's no way to tell how long players might have to wait for it.

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Judging by the four-year period between Stardew's 1.5, which was first released in 2020, and 1.6, it could be a very long time before the game hits another major update. And this is assuming it gets another update at all.

Luckily, though, there's plenty to keep players busy, between the game's own mountains of content, a thriving modding community, and the release of Stardew competitors like the currently early-access Fields of Mistria. So, though Stardew Valley's next major update might not be coming out anytime soon (or at all), there's still plenty to look forward to - including Haunted Chocolatier.

Source: PC Gamer