Stardew Valley is getting a surprise update with new content

Though it will be much smaller than 2020’s expansion-sized 1.5.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone, the creator of megahit farm builder/RPG Stardew Valley, announced viaTwitterthat the game will be receiving a 1.6 update. Though Barone qualifies that it’s “mostly changes for modders” and much smaller in scope than 2020’s 1.5 addition, it will have new content and is a large enough project that Barone is taking a break from working on the upcomingHaunted Chocolatierto deliver it.

There is going to be a Stardew 1.6 update. It’s mostly changes for modders (which will make it easier & more powerful to mod). But there is also new game content, albeit much less than 1.5. I’m taking a break from Haunted Chocolatier to work on this at the moment. Then back to HCApril 16, 2023

For added context, the 1.1-5 updates have all featured new content for Stardew Valley, with 1.5 beingpractically a full-on expansion, including quality of life changes, a new farm, and a huge additional endgame area. Stardew Valley’s last update, period, was 1.5.6 at the end of 2021, with a few supplemental hotfixes at the beginning of 2022⁠—that update was limited exclusively to bug fixes, however.

Barone’s planned changes for modders are also interesting, especially since Stardew already has arobust mod sceneas it is. Ease-of-use is one thing, but I’m curious as to what experienced modders will be able to accomplish with “more powerful” tools. Perhaps we will witness powerful new psychic frontiers ofmessing up your grandpa’s deathbed.

I wouldn’t read too much into the developer’s break from working on Haunted Chocolatier⁠—just as before, it’s coming when it’s done. As for when we can expect to see Stardew Valley 1.6, I can’t imagine the wait will be overly long. For more on Barone’s follow-up to Stardew Valley, you can check out our hub witheverything we know about Haunted Chocolatier.

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals

Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.

Ted has been thinking about PC games and bothering anyone who would listen with his thoughts on them ever since he booted up his sister’s copy of Neverwinter Nights on the family computer. He is obsessed with all things CRPG and CRPG-adjacent, but has also covered esports, modding, and rare game collecting. When he’s not playing or writing about games, you can find Ted lifting weights on his back porch.

China: Mao’s Legacy is like an absurdly specific Paradox game on a tight budget, and also one of the best sims I’ve ever played

Planet Coaster 2 review

Crown Gambit, a stylish dark-fantasy card battler where choices matter, now has a demo