Popular farming simulator Stardew Valley is scheduled to receive a major content update, Update 1.7, in 2026 to celebrate the title's tenth anniversary. The announcement of this update came as a surprise to many fans, as creator Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone had previously said that he was shifting focus from Stardew Valley to his next project, Haunted Chocolatier. Now, fans on Reddit and other social media sites are unsure about the game's future and what might lie beyond the upcoming 1.7 update.
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Every Major Stardew Valley Update Sparks A Conversation About The Future
Both the 1.5 content update, which launched in 2020, and the 1.6 version of Stardew Valley, which debuted in 2024, were thought at the time to be the "final" major content update for Stardew Valley. This attitude was supported by statements from Barone, who expressed on sites such as X that he was pivoting to focus on Haunted Chocolatier. Unsurprisingly, with 1.7 approaching — although no concrete release date has been shared at the time, the debate has reignited once more about what the future will look like for the farming simulator.
On sites such as Reddit, there have been multiple discussions asking if 1.7, which will add two new marriage candidates, a new farm layout, and unspecified changes giving the player's children a larger role in the game, will be the final content update for Stardew Valley. The question has also been raised about what Stardew updates will look like after the release of Haunted Chocolatier. It is still unclear how far in the future that will be, as Barone has made it clear he will not rush its release and wants to be completely satisfied with the game before it comes out.
Many Believe Stardew Valley Updates Will Continue
Interestingly, unlike many similar discussions that occurred following the 1.5 and 1.6 updates, commenters on sites such as Reddit generally feel that 1.7 will not be the last Stardew Valley update. They cite reasons such as the fact that Barone has repeatedly stated his love for working on and expanding Stardew Valley, as well as the fact that he now has a team working with him on the game, allowing him to more easily deliver both smaller-scale quality-of-life updates and larger-scale content additions such as the upcoming new marriage candidates, Clint the blacksmith and Sandy the desert shopkeeper.
"ConcernedApe has a team doing most of the work for 1.7," said a commenter going by the name Ragna_Blade. "As long as the update goes well, he'll have them continue on to a 1.8 and 1.9 update down the line, while he focuses on Haunted Chocolatier." Haunted Chocolatier remains in active development, according to a January statement from ConcernedApe. Ragna_Blade also theorized that the creator would return to focusing primarily on Stardew Valley should an updated "2.0" version of the game ever be developed.
There have been many other comments made on Reddit in recent months in favor of ConcernedApe continuing to support and update Stardew Valley. "It's like his baby," remarked one commenter. "There's a 0% chance that he'll drop Stardew Valley. He loves this game far too much," asserted another. And, indeed, Barone has many times stated that he holds great love for the game, even 10 years after Stardew Valley's initial release. His passion for the game shines through in every interview and social media post.
Barone's Own Statement Is The Strongest Evidence For More Updates
Perhaps the strongest evidence that Stardew Valley updates will continue after the launch of 1.7, and even after the eventual release of Haunted Chocolatier, comes from a statement made by Eric Barone himself. In an interview with IGN in February 2026, Barone was asked where he saw Stardew Valley a further ten years in the future. He responded:
"In ten years there'll be a few more updates which just make the game even more what it's supposed to be... Maybe there's new things added to the game to make it even more future-proof, in terms of creative content or things that players can be almost a part of the process... Maybe there'll be some new Stardew Valley project that's out, even, in 10 years."
Barone floated the ideal of a potential Stardew Valley 2, or other titles or products utilizing the Stardew Valley IP. He also discussed the idea of a system that allows players to view and use each other's farm layouts, as he feels that this would add even more replayability to a gaming that already features hundreds of hours of content.
Barone's Statements Have Generally Eased Fan Concerns
Some Stardew Valley fans do worry that 1.7 will be the final update, or that it will be the last major piece of content, with any future patches focused on fixing bugs or small quality of life improvements. Others believe that, once Haunted Chocolatier officially releases — although, according to some theories, that could be as far out as 2030 or even beyond - Barone will not continue to work on Stardew Valley in any capacity.
One commenter worried that "any new ideas he has [for Stardew] will go to Haunted Chocolatier instead." Another pointed out that Barone dislikes 'forcing' new content, updating Stardew when he feels driven to, and expressed concerns that his continued passion for updating the game might run dry. However, these comments and threads have become significantly less frequent in the wake of the IGN interview and the release of more concrete information about the 1.7 update, particularly the official announcement of Sandy and Clint as the two new characters who players can marry.
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While it is understandable that Stardew Valley fans are concerned that future updates might not happen, especially with Barone's focus shifting more and more to Haunted Chocolatier, it seems unlikely that the creator will abandon the game entirely. His tenth anniversary interview was filled with passion and excitement for the future, and it definitely seems that Stardew Valley could have a long life filled with updates beyond 1.7, including a potential "2.0" version. And, even if Stardew Valley's updates are indeed coming to an end, there are hundreds of mods players can try out with new characters to meet, places to visit, and stories to explore. Stardew Valley's future will be a full and exciting one, no matter what it holds.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 90/100 Critics Rec: 99%
- Released
- February 26, 2016
- ESRB
- Everyone 10+ / Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Simulated Gambling, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco
- Developer(s)
- ConcernedApe
- Publisher(s)
- ConcernedApe
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Simulation
