The creator of Stardew Valley, Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone, has provided an update on the highly anticipated 1.6 update for the popular farm-life simulation game. Barone announced his work on the 1.6 update in June 2022, initially describing it as relatively modest with a focus on modding.
Over time, the scope of the 1.6 updates expanded, with Barone confirming additions such as a major new festival, two mini-festivals, new items, crafting recipes, dialogue lines, a new farm type, late-game content, winter outfits for villagers, a larger chest, and 8-player co-op on PC. Notably, the update will also include a feature that many fans eagerly anticipate – hats for cats and dogs.
In December, Barone shared that he had made significant progress and was in “extreme crunch mode” to finalize the 1.6 update.
In a recent social media update, he confirmed that the major content additions were complete, and he is now focusing on bug-fixing and polishing before the update’s release. Expressing gratitude for fans’ patience, he mentioned his excitement to see players enjoy the new content.
Despite the update turning out to be larger than initially planned, Barone assured fans that the finish line was in sight. Responding to a fan query about the release timeline, he stated definitively that the 1.6 update will indeed be released this year.
Stardew Valley’s previous major content update, version 1.5, was released in February 2021. Afterward, Barone announced his next project, Haunted Chocolatier, which presented a darker and more fantastical take on the Stardew Valley concept.
However, last April, Barone announced a temporary break from Haunted Chocolatier to concentrate on completing Stardew Valley’s 1.6 update. Once the update is released, it is presumed that work on Haunted Chocolatier will resume.
