Stardew Valley Update 1.6 is officially set to launch on 19 March 2024, game creator Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone has confirmed. The news was announced on Twitter / X in a post also celebrating the eighth anniversary of the game.
That’s right – Stardew Valley is now eight years old. According to Barone, it’s also “thriving more than ever” thanks to fan support. In the coming months, there’ll be plenty of opportunities to celebrate this success, with the release of an official Stardew Valley cookbook, a special concert tour, and the upcoming game update.
As previously detailed, Stardew Valley Update 1.6 is a significant one, and will provide players with a new array of items, tools, activities, and conversations to enjoy.
While the update was initially planned as a smaller inclusion, largely focussed on providing better mod support, it blew up in development, with Barone later announcing a significant range of new features on the way.
Read: Stardew Valley: 1.6 Update – Full details revealed
As confirmed in September 2023, Stardew Valley Update 1.6 will include:
- A new major festival
- Two new mini festivals
- New late-game content, which expands on each of the skill areas
- New items and crafting recipes
- Joja alternatives to some of the end-game quests
- 100+ new lines of dialogue
- Winter outfits for the villagers
- New type of reward for completing billboard requests
- (PC) Support for 8 player multiplayer
- Many small additions and adjustments
- New farm type
- New secrets & more
Barone has also teased the arrival of a new iridium scythe tool, and suggested players should restart the game to experience every new tweak and tidbit added in the upcoming update. While it’s not necessary to unlock newer items and features, Barone believes restarting makes more sense, and will allow players to discover new features naturally, rather than all at once.
Whatever players have planned, there’s now plenty to look forward to. Stardew Valley Update 1.6 will launch for PC first on 19 March, and will come to Stardew Valley on console and mobile “as soon as possible.” Stay tuned for more.