Update March 20th: The long-awaited Version 1.6 update for Stardew Valley is now available on PC, and players have clearly been thirsting for it with the game smashing its all-time concurrent player peaks on Steam and breaking into the current top 5 most-played games at the time of writing.
A quick breakdown of what’s new in the update can be found just below, but if you’re willing to be spoiled you can see the patch notes in full right here.
Stardew Valley 1.6 Major Changes And Additions
- A new major festival
- Two new mini festivals
- A new environmental event
- Hundreds of new lines of dialogue
- A new end-game skill system
- New crops, crafting items, furniture, and more
- A new farm type: Meadowlands Farm
- Multiple pets
- “WAY MORE, I don’t want to spoil everything”
Update 27/02: ConcernedApe has celebrated the 8th anniversary of Stardew Valley by announcing that the game’s long-awaited Version 1.6 update is coming to PC on March 19th. With an update for the console and mobile versions of the game following “as soon as possible.”
It's the 8th anniversary of Stardew Valley. Thank you for all the support over the years! Today I am announcing the PC Release date for the 1.6 update: –March 19th–. Console & Mobile will follow as soon as possible. pic.twitter.com/dMEFydjSqC
— ConcernedApe (@ConcernedApe) February 26, 2024
Stardew Valley developer ConcernedApe/Eric Barone has offered an update on the big Version 1.6 drop for Stardew Valley, which was first announced back in 2022 but has since grown in scope from a “modding-focused” patch to a major update that brings a heap of new content with it. While still not quite ready for release, the 1.6 update is seemingly content-complete and in the polishing stages.
Barone’s post on X reads, “1.6 ended up being a little larger in scope than originally planned. I’m done adding major new content to it now, though, and it’s in a bug-fixing and polishing phase until it’s ready for release. Thx for your patience. It’ll be fun to see everyone play it!”
1.6 ended up being a little larger in scope than originally planned. I'm done adding major new content to it now, though, and it's in a bug-fixing and polishing phase until it's ready for release. Thx for your patience. It'll be fun to see everyone play it!
— ConcernedApe (@ConcernedApe) January 26, 2024
Responding to a fan reply on X asking whether the update will launch in 2024, Barone simply said “yes absolutely,” and in answer to another question around platform release date parity, it was stated that the update will most likely launch on PC before other platforms, but ConcernedApe doesn’t want to see a “big delay” between PC and console/mobile:
It will likely come to PC first, but I really really don't want a big delay between PC and console/mobile. That was a nightmare in the past
— ConcernedApe (@ConcernedApe) January 26, 2024
While it might seem like a long time to wait for an update, it’s worth remembering that Barone is for all intents and purposes a solo dev, and also has another major game release on the way in Haunted Chocolatier, which is another isometric pixel-art game but this time tasks players with running a chocolate shop that’s, well, haunted.
The developer, once again working alone on this game, says in his first blog post on the title’s official website:
“In Stardew Valley, the focus was more humble: living off the land, growing food, and connecting to the people and nature around you. However, with my next game, I wanted to explore more fantastical possibilities… experiences that take you beyond the ordinary. That’s where magical haunted ghost chocolate comes in.”
So far there’s no information on a potential release date, but the game is apparently still quite early in development. Check out the trailer below:
