Dev confirms Stardew Valley 1.6 is ‘absolutely’ releasing in 2024

Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone has been hard at work on the next update for Stardew Valley. While the creator is taking their time to make sure the patch is ready for release, they have made it clear that progress is coming along while also sharing a little tease.

Over on Twitter, Barone has shared a screenshot from Stardew Valley, showing off the new “Big Chest” in update 1.6. The post goes on to say that the developer has “self-imposed” a crunch mode to get the patch out but made a “ton of progress” on it last month.

Nothing much has been said about what’s coming, as the developer wants to keep “mostly everything secret.” However, we have had some teases in the past, such as hats for animals. But we’ll know more once the update does roll out.

A labor of love

Barone seems clearly passionate about their game, which has gone down as one of the best indie titles in recent memory. When asked why they continue to work on Stardew Valley, the creator said: “I want it to be the best it can be,” adding that “it’s been my life’s work and I care a lot about it.”

On top of update 1.6, the game is also going on tour, with an orchestra set to travel the globe playing arrangements from the Stardew soundtrack. The tour kicks off in Los Angeles on February 16, 2024.

On a personal note, I’m actually fairly new to the game myself. However, I became rather hooked on its simplistic visuals, relaxing mechanics, and the sheer amount of content that’s been lovingly put in. The next patch is definitely one that a lot of fans will be keen to try out.