Stardew Valley developer Eric Barone — better known as ConcernedApe — has revealed when players can expect the next major update to drop, adding fresh content and expanded multiplayer options to the game. Announced on Monday in line with Stardew Valley’s eighth anniversary, update 1.6 will be available for PC (Windows/macOS/Linux) players on March 19th, with console and mobile to follow “as soon as possible.”
We have some idea of what content is coming thanks to a “sneak peak” that ConcernedApe shared back in September. This includes three unnamed festivals — one “major” and two “mini” — alongside new items, crafting recipes, rewards for billboard quests, and late-game content that expands each of the five skills: farming, fishing, mining, foraging, and combat. Over 100 new lines of dialogue are being added for the local villagers, as are some trendy winter outfits (which will presumably be donned during the game’s chillier season).
Players can also expect some Joja-themed alternatives for some of the end-game quests and a new farm type which hasn’t been disclosed yet. Other vagueries such as “new secrets” and “small additions” have also been teased, but we’ll need to wait for the full patch notes for more details on that. Finally, multiplayer support for PC is being expanded from four to eight players, allowing you to drag more farmhands (or friends) to help build your virtual homestead.
It’s no small feat to keep providing a game’s fanbase with new content for almost a decade, especially for one that started out as a solo project. The incoming 1.6 update for Stardew Valley will hopefully be enough to sate our appetites until ConcernedApe announces a release date for his highly anticipated second game, Haunted Chocolatier.
