Stardew Valley creator says update 1.6 is finished as far as "major new content" goes, "absolutely" coming this year, and "likely" PC first

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ConcernedApe says Stardew Valley update 1.6 is "a little larger in scope than originally planned"

A screenshot of Stardew Valley multiplayer.
(Image credit: ConcernedApe)

Stardew Valley creator Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone has revealed that update 1.6 is mostly done and says it's on track to release in 2024.

In an update shared to Twitter, ConcernedApe said out loud what we've long suspected: Stardew Valley 1.6 update is going to be bigger than originally planned. If you remember, back in June 2022 when the 1.5 follow-up was first confirmed, the developer tempered expectations by saying it "wouldn't be huge." Then, in April 2023, ConcernedApe said the update would be "mostly changes for modders" - so, not all that exciting for the average player.

Well, something must've changed in the few short months between then and September 2023 when the developer released a sneak peak at what's to come in the update, which included some huge stuff like a new farm type, "a new major festival," new late-game content, more than 100 new lines of dialogue, PC support for 8-player multiplayer, and more.

The latest update on the update, published January 26, confirms that the scope of the project indeed expanded at some point, but Barone assures eager fans that it's still launching this year.

"1.6 ended up being a little larger in scope than originally planned," reads the tweet from ConcernedApe. "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!"

"Yes absolutely," reads a reply to a fan asking if update 1.6 is coming this year.

In another follow-up, the developer confirms that the update is "likely" to hit PC first, adding, "I really, really don't want a big delay between PC and console/mobile. That was a nightmare in the past."

Here's everything we know about Haunted Chocolatier, the next game from ConcernedApe.

Jordan Gerblick
Jordan Gerblick

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.