Just don’t expect another ‘huge’ update
Even with Haunted Chocolatier on the horizon, the creator of Stardew Valley can’t seem to step away from the farm-sim life for good, and we love him for it. Update 1.5 was a banger. With a whole new island to explore and expand, plus plenty of small but impactful quality-of-life enhancements, it could’ve gone down as the game’s “final update” — it felt like it. But what are the odds of Stardew Valley 1.6? ConcernedApe says it’s coming.
Responding to a fan on Twitter, the developer said that Stardew Valley will get a 1.6 update — though we should keep our expectations in check. It’ll be focused on making modders’ lives “easier,” and while there will be “some new content,” it won’t be “huge.”
Mods can future-proof the game
Considering how healthy the mod-creating (and playing) Stardew Valley community has become, that’s really encouraging to hear. As much as ConcernedApe probably will continue building up Stardew himself, at a certain point, mods will fully take over as the gift that keeps on giving. I know there’s a lot of good stuff out there, but I’ve yet to get into mods, and I feel like plenty of Stardew Valley‘s millions of players fall into the same camp.
It would be nice to see the best mods front and center in a more “official” capacity, to make it as easy as possible for less-experienced players who are craving more content. If you know where to look, sure, they’re out there. They’re great! That said, plenty of people are quietly enjoying the game with no knowledge of mods even as a basic concept.
ConcernedApe hasn’t committed to Stardew 1.7
As for a possible Stardew Valley 1.7? “Who knows.” (So… the door is cracked?!)
You can’t really talk about Stardew Valley updates without also acknowledging mobile players who are still waiting on version 1.5. Every time someone asks, ConcernedApe says that it hasn’t been “abandoned,” but it has been held up by outside factors.
“It’s kind of complicated, but involves a legal/business issue which I can’t really get into, the necessity to have a whole new team work on it, and then multiple setbacks and missed deadlines due to people being unfamiliar with the code or underestimating the difficulty,” he said in May. This game has so much goodwill, but it’s hard to be patient.
On Twitter this week, ConcernedApe also touched on Haunted Chocolatier, noting that the new life simulation game will reference Stardew — but “how deep the connection will be” is up in the air. The designer intends for Haunted Chocolatier to “have its own identity.”
[Image Credit: chaoscara]
