Stardew Valley's 1.6 update has been in the works for almost a year – I know because I can't stop looking at my watch. As the release date (March 19) approaches, developer Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone has hinted that there's a lot more to the update than has been previously revealed.
Thanks to a Foretaste Last year we already knew that 1.6 would include a new major festival, two mini-festivals, late-game content, new items and crafting recipes, over 100 new lines of dialogue and winter outfits for the villagers. However, in an interview with PolygonWhere Barone talked about the Stardew Valley soundtrack concert, he also teased that “there's a lot more to the update than people think.”
“The focus is more on the valley and the core areas of the game,” Barone continued. “It just adds so much stuff to all the different aspects of the game. It is also a time of high intensity. The patch is almost finished. But there are still a few things I still need to do. Until everything is completely sealed, it will be a bit stressful.
There are a few small updates that I would like to see added in 1.6, such as the ability to access fish roe without having to build a fish pond first. Although not a necessity, it could help my budding caviar business and reduce the amount of rocks I would have to throw away when building multiple ponds. But regardless of what else pops up in the caves or cornfields of Stardew Valley after 1.6, I'm just thrilled that PC players are finally getting support for eight-player multiplayer.
It's been a while since I've ventured into Stardew Valley's multiplayer mode, but I can't help but feel like I have an army of dedicated Stardew Valley players farming in my stead Wanting to keep running while I go fishing for hours is a game changer; Maybe I'll finally catch the Legend Fish, the rarest catch in the game.
Despite launching eight years ago, it seems like Barone never stops tinkering with Stardew Valley and giving us new updates to sink our teeth into. “I feel like the boy who cried wolf because I said it [this is the last update] I have done it many times myself, and I always end up doing a Stardew Valley update,” Barone said. “So it’s like, I’m just saying, who knows? I don't think I'll ever officially finish the book. The book is always open.”
While Barone doesn't confirm what's coming after 1.6, it's exciting to think he'll now have more time to work on the upcoming RPG Haunted Chocolatier.
I will always be a Stardew Valley fan, but after receiving screenshots and snippets of information about Haunted Chocolatier, I can't help but view Update 1.6 as the end of a chapter and the beginning of a very exciting new adventure. With 1.6 just a few weeks away, we'll soon find out if it's everything Barone promised.
