Stardew Valley 1.6 was already set to be a huge update, but the announcement of a new festival and other features says it could be as big as some major updates of the past.
Though Stardew Valley creator Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone has been working on the upcoming Haunted Chocolatier merchant sim, there have always been plans to shake up the game that shot him to stardom. The Stardew Valley 1.6 update is set to overhaul the game engine in a way that allows for better mods on PC. PC and console players alike can look forward to quality-of-life improvements, bug fixes, and balance tweaks.
What wasn’t known is what kind of new, player-facing content ConcernedApe had planned. The developer confirmed that he’s set to add some new features that should keep dedicated Stardew Valley players happy.
ConcernedApe confirms plans for Stardew Valley patch 1.6
ConcernedApe confirmed a number of new additions to Stardew Valley in version 1.6 including a new festival and new items.
Stardew Valley is more than seven years old now and it would be hard to argue with its creator if he decided to just drop it entirely and focus on Haunted Chocolatier. Instead, he’s prepping what will be one of the game’s most significant updates. Included on the list of features are new items, more dialog with NPCs, and a new festival.
ConcernedApe has previously indicated an intent to add more dialog for NPCs. Dataminers and modders have discovered both dialog lines and heart event moments that are unused in the game, seemingly due to bugs. It’s unclear if ConcernedApe plans to patch in these unused interactions, add new conversations, or both.
The new festival is particularly surprising. It’s unclear whether this is an all-day affair akin to the Feast of the Winter Star or something like the Night Market, but it will undoubtedly freshen things up for players who have already gone through Stardew Valley several times over.
What is the Stardew Valley 1.6 release date?
ConcernedApe has not given any sort of hard release date for the Stardew Valley 1.6 update. Though fans have been clamoring for it for some time now, the developer has been quite blunt regarding a release timetable.
There isn’t really any defined pattern to Stardew Valley’s updates, either. Stardew Valley 1.3, 1.4, and 1.5 all launched in the second half of the year, but there’s also no guarantee that Stardew Valley 1.6 won’t have a release date in early 2024 or beyond. On top of that, it’s worth remembering that the update may not ship at the same time on all platforms. Mobile players in particular had to wait more than two years for Stardew Valley 1.5. The good news is that it’s slated to come out before Haunted Chocolatier does.
