Several years after the game's release, the Stardew Valley update 1.6 will keep delivering new content to fans of the beloved farming game. Here's every new change and every new bit of content that's being prepared for the occasion.
Stardew Valley has been a beloved farming simulation game since its release in 2016. Developer Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone has kept the game fresh with constant updates and new content, the most recent being version 1.5.
However, players are always eager for more, and ConcernedApe has confirmed that Stardew Valley version 1.6 is in the works. Here's what we know so far about the upcoming update.
Stardew Valley 1.6: What To Expect Of The Update
While version 1.5 brought a significant amount of new content to the game, ConcernedApe has stated that version 1.6 will be a smaller update. However, it will focus on making mods easier to implement and more powerful in their capabilities.
For those that are unfamiliar, mods are user-created modifications that add new features, items, or gameplay mechanics to the game. With this update, modders will be able to create more complex and ambitious mods, which will undoubtedly lead to even more exciting gameplay experiences for players.
New Content to Look Forward To
Although version 1.6 will focus primarily on improving mod support, ConcernedApe has also confirmed that there will be new content added to the game. However, we're still not 100% sure about everything we can expect.
Thanks to a tweet from ConcernedApe back in July 2023 we already know that we'll be getting a new festival added to Stardew Valley! Or should I say – three new festivals!
coming in Stardew Valley 1.6...
— ConcernedApe (@ConcernedApe) July 17, 2023
-new festival
-new items
-more dialogues
-secrets
-???
Previously, ConcernedApe had already announced that Stardew Valley 1.6 would add a new festival to the game, but with in his newest tweet on September 28, 2023, we now know that we'll be getting one new major festival and two new "mini festivals".
Fans had already been speculating that the new major festival would be a New Year's event that would either take place in winter or spring, and it seems like we might get another winter festival in Stardew Valley!
This speculation is based off of the fact that ConcernedApe has also announced that the villagers will be getting winter outfits. We can already see Jas and Sebastian sporting their new winter gear in the image that ConcernedApe tweeted, so it seems as though he put in a lot of effort into making the winter season more special, so why not add a new festival then?
1.6 content sneak peek. no release date yet pic.twitter.com/vyhbFRkZ00
— ConcernedApe (@ConcernedApe) September 27, 2023
Besides that, it's official that we'll be getting new items and crafting recipes, as well as over 100 new lines of dialogue, and "new secrets and more". ConcernedApe just loves to keep us on our toes.
We don't really know what items we can expect yet, but ConcernedApe tweeted "iridium scythe" back in May 2023, which lets us believe that we might get a new scythe upgrade with 1.6. What that will improve exactly, we don't know. Maybe it's just being added as a joke, or maybe as a replacement for the golden scythe that can't be crafted.
Besides new items and secrets, there is one mystery that we're interested to find out more about. As part of the long list of update content, the developer added "Joja alternatives to some of the end-game quests". Perhaps that is what he was hinting at in his latest teaser?
Just recently, on September 21, 2023, ConcernedApe posted a Stardew Valley teaser on his Twitter account that had us guessing that we might see more Ginger Island content with update 1.6.
Maybe we'll see more Joja Mart content on Ginger Island?
If you're interested to find out more about his newest teaser, and what we thought he was hinting at, check out what we thought would be added to Ginger Island in the future:
Another exciting part of the announcement (oh who are we kidding, all parts of the update are exciting) is that there will also be new late-game content added to Stardew Valley, which will also "expand on each of the skill areas". No matter how much you have played Stardew Valley, there will be plenty of new content to make the game even more exciting again!
Oh, and did I mention yet that there will be a whole new farm type to choose from at the beginning? We'll have to wait for more information about that, but maybe we'll get a new challenging farm, like a year-round Winter farm. It surely would fit the fact that all NPCs are getting winter outfits, after all.
Besides that, Stardew Valley will also be getting a new type of reward for completing billboard requests and many small additions and adjustments (maybe more frog colors, like in the tweet?). Oh, and, Stardew Valley will also support a PC multiplayer mode for up to 8 players at once! Imagine the chaos...
That's not all, though! I don't know what ConcernedApe deems as a "small update" but if this is small, then I'll take it! He has just revealed another important content update, that we believe will also be added with the 1.6 update. Hold your horses kids, because we are getting: Hats for cats (and dogs)! Take a look at it for yourself and tell me that this isn't the cutest thing you have ever seen (I dare you):
Hats on cats (and dogs) pic.twitter.com/4qIQOE1sUV
— ConcernedApe (@ConcernedApe) October 5, 2023
Honestly, this has got to be the greatest thing I have seen all month. I really hope that it will be added with 1.6. It seems pretty likely that this will be the case, but it hasn't been officially confirmed yet.
Other than that, we'll have to wait and see what else ConcernedApe reveals to us in the future!
Delayed Release Date
ConcernedApe has not given a specific release date for version 1.6 yet. However, he has assured fans that he is personally working on it. On Steam, ConcernedApe has said, "I have no release date for it yet, but will release it as soon as it's ready. The content is pretty close to being finished, but then there will need to be testing, polishing and translations before it can launch on PC."
So, hopefully we might see update 1.6 be released in the near future!
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Additionally, ConcernedApe has decided to take a break from developing his next game project, Haunted Chocolatier, to focus on Stardew Valley version 1.6. This means that the release of Haunted Chocolatier will be delayed until after the Stardew Valley update is released.
While this delay may be disappointing for fans of Haunted Chocolatier, it's great news for Stardew Valley players who are eagerly anticipating the next update.
Expect PC Release First
When version 1.6 is ready, it will first be released on PC before rolling out to other platforms. This is the same approach that was taken with previous updates, so it's not surprising. However, players on other platforms should not have to wait for too long before they can access the new content.
Stardew Valley version 1.6 is still a work in progress, but it's clear that ConcernedApe is dedicated to making it a fantastic update. While it may not be as extensive as version 1.5, the focus on improving mod support and making mods more powerful will undoubtedly lead to even more incredible gameplay experiences for players.
We can't wait to see what new content is added to the game and experience it for ourselves. For now, players can continue to enjoy the game on Android, iOS, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One while we wait for the next update.