When and What To Expect From Stardew Valley 1.6 Update

Attention all Stardew Valley fans! The next major update for the game - 1.6 - is just around the corner. This update promises to be a huge one, with expanded late-game content to keep players hooked for hours on end. It's been over four years since the last major update, but this one is worth the wait.

Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone, the one-man-band developer of the game, has outdone himself with an abundance of fresh content. The previous update included an entirely new island (Ginger Island), a new farm type, crafting recipes, and other exciting features. 

However, the next Stardew Valley update, 1.6, aims to one-up the previous update with tons of bonus new content for players to explore, including new items, three festivals, winter outfits for NPCs, and even wearable hats for cats and dogs. What more could you want?

Keep reading for the lowdown on Stardew Valley 1.6, including the official release date and what new content players can expect.

Stardew Valley 1.6: Release Date

On February 26th, 2024, Stardew Valley developer Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone marked Stardew Valley's eighth anniversary in a celebratory message on social media. He announced the highly-anticipated release date for the 1.6 update and thanked players all the support, saying he's "eternally grateful."

Although Barone only mentioned the PC release date (Windows, macOS, and Linux) on March 19th, he assured players that the 1.6 update would also be available on consoles and mobile devices "as soon as possible." Hopefully, players on these platforms won't have to wait too long!

ConcernedApe has been heavily focused on his upcoming game, Haunted Chocolatier, so this update was unexpected but a pleasant surprise. The 1.6 update was first revealed over two years ago, in June 2022, so it has been a long time in the making.

Stardew Valley 1.6 Sneak Peek: What's New?

ConcernedApe is no stranger to occasionally giving his fans a sneak peek on his social media. In September 2023, ConcernedApe shared what players can expect in the Stardew Valley 1.6 update.

This includes three unnamed festivals: two "mini festivals" and one new major festival. We know for sure one of these new festivals will be on Winter 28 to ring in the next new Stardew Valley year.

The 1.6 new update is mainly aimed at long-term players who have reached the end game. This includes adding 100 new NPC dialogue lines for players tired of seeing the same five sentences, and even winter outfits, perfect for the chillier months of the year. Who doesn't want to see Jas in a fluffy bobble hat? 

The new late-game content will also expand on the five main skills (Fishing, Farming, Foraging, Combat, and Mining) and end-game quests for players who wish to continue supporting Joja. Co. Other mysterious vagueries revealed by ConcernedApe include "new secrets," "crafting recipes," and other "small additions and adjustments," which will likely be revealed upon release.

Finally, local multiplayer for PC is now being expanded to include eight players instead of the previous four. Now, you can recruit as many players to help your virtual wholesome homestead thrive!

Stardew Valley 1.6: Patch Notes

In an expansive post on Steam, ConcernedApe shared that the Stardew 1.6 update will introduce more content than any previous update to the game. He will release the full patch notes on the launch day but admits "it will be more fun for [players] to play the update and discover everything [themselves]." He recommends that players begin an entirely new save file to experience all the new content within context.

He expresses his gratitude to the players, adding, "With this new 1.6 update on the horizon, a worldwide concert tour underway, an official cookbook coming soon and over 30 million copies sold, Stardew Valley is thriving more than ever! All of this is possible because of you, the players, so I just want to say THANK YOU very much."

For the modding community, ConcernedApe advises that they prepare their Stardew Valley mods for the 1.6 update. Popular tools like SMAPI and Content Patcher have already been updated for compatibility.

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, the Stardew Valley 1.6 update on March 19th will keep fans busy and satiate their appetites as we await the release of the Haunted Chocolatier. When the Stardew Valley 1.6 update comes out, we will have a separate article detailing all the new changes, so follow Rivalry for more!

Looking for more gaming news? Head over to our blog page! We have guides on Stardew Valley gifting for all villagers, Stardew Valley crossplay, Fortnite codes, unlocking all heroes in OW2, TFT Set 11, and more.

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