Stardew Valley creator Eric Barone, better known as ConcernedApe, finally broke his silence about the enigmatic 1.7 update on December 17, 2025, revealing just enough to drive fans absolutely wild with speculation. The solo developer confirmed what many suspected: update 1.7 will include a new farm type marking the ninth layout option since launch, plus expanded character and social features that could mean anything from new romance options to entirely new NPCs. But true to form, Barone kept most details locked away, stating simply there’s “lots more” coming but he doesn’t “want to reveal much yet.” For a community that dissects every pixel of new content, this vague tease feels simultaneously thrilling and torturous.
The Ninth Farm Layout
Barone’s comment that “it’s also traditional to add a new farm type” acknowledges a pattern established across Stardew Valley’s evolution. The game launched in 2016 with just the Standard Farm, a straightforward open layout suitable for any playstyle. As major updates rolled out, Barone consistently added specialized farm maps catering to different gameplay preferences. Currently, players choose from eight distinct options including Riverland for fishing enthusiasts, Forest Farm for foragers, Hill-top for miners, Wilderness for combat lovers, Four Corners for multiplayer groups, Beach Farm combining fishing and foraging, and the newest Meadowlands Farm from update 1.6 focusing on animal husbandry.
With every major playstyle already represented, speculation runs rampant about what niche the ninth farm type will fill. Community wishlist threads overflow with ideas including a Coastal Farm featuring tidal pools and enhanced beach foraging, an Underground Farm with mushroom caves and gem-rich soil, or perhaps most intriguingly a farm layout specifically designed to encourage NPC relationships and social gameplay. Given Barone’s mention of “character/social stuff” alongside the farm type reveal, that last option carries weight as more than wishful thinking.
Character And Social Mysteries
The “more character/social stuff” tease opens endless possibilities that fans immediately began dissecting. Does this mean expanded dialogue for existing NPCs? New heart events revealing deeper backstories? Additional romance candidates joining Pelican Town’s dating pool? Or could Barone be hinting at entirely new characters moving into the valley, fundamentally expanding the town’s population beyond familiar faces?
Popular fan requests include more romanceable NPCs, deeper friendship mechanics with existing characters, additional festivals and town events, expanded world lore explaining Stardew Valley’s history and magic systems, and more meaningful consequences for relationship choices. The vagueness leaves room for literally anything from minor dialogue additions to complete social system overhauls. Knowing Barone’s tendency to exceed expectations, betting on the latter seems safer than assuming minimal additions.
The Pattern Of Expansion
Update 1.6, which launched in March 2024, provides context for what “lots more” might entail. That patch added Meadowlands Farm, introduced a three-day Desert Festival, implemented the Mastery system for late-game skill progression, brought new pets including the adorable turtle, expanded dialogue options, added numerous quality-of-life improvements, and included dozens of smaller additions ranging from new crops to additional crafting recipes. What Barone initially described as a smaller update ballooned into one of Stardew Valley’s most substantial content drops.
The No Release Date Policy
Barone confirmed update 1.7 back in September 2025 but immediately tempered expectations by stating “no release date, no estimate” and warning “it’s going to be a while.” He later suggested 1.7 might not arrive until after Haunted Chocolatier releases, his entirely new game announced nearly four years ago that remains deep in development. This places 1.7 in an indeterminate future measured in years rather than months, disappointing players hoping for 2026 content but typical of Barone’s perfectionist development approach.
The extended timeline reflects Barone’s notorious feature creep, something he openly acknowledges. In his own words, “it’s hard to just stop improving it when there are still things that can be improved.” What begins as modest updates inevitably expands as he implements one feature, realizes it enables three more cool ideas, codes those, and suddenly a minor patch transforms into major content expansion. This process frustrates fans desperate for concrete timelines but consistently delivers updates that exceed initial promises.
Switch 2 Version Coming Soon
Alongside 1.7 teases, Barone addressed the Nintendo Switch 2 version of Stardew Valley, promising to “announce something very soon” and apologizing for “the long wait.” The Switch 2 port was first mentioned in September 2025 for a fall release that obviously didn’t materialize. When it eventually launches, the Switch 2 version will include mouse controls, four-player split-screen multiplayer, and Game Share multiplayer features currently unavailable on the original Switch release.
The Switch 2 announcement coming before a 1.7 release window suggests Barone prioritizes getting the game running on new Nintendo hardware before pushing another major content update. This makes business sense given Switch remains Stardew Valley’s most popular platform and the Switch 2 launch will drive massive adoption from Nintendo’s dedicated fanbase. Getting a version ready for day one or close to launch capitalizes on that hardware cycle better than releasing months later.
What Fans Actually Want
Community wishlists reveal common threads about desired 1.7 features beyond farm types and social content. Quality-of-life improvements dominate discussions, particularly expanded inventory capacity beyond the current two backpack upgrades that leave players constantly juggling legendary fish, iridium ore, and prismatic shards. Time management options like the ability to skip ahead a few hours or fast-forward through repetitive daily tasks also appear frequently, though these risk fundamentally changing Stardew Valley’s deliberate pacing.
Other popular requests include the farmer’s birthday as a gameplay event, cross-platform multiplayer enabling friends on different systems to farm together, improved endgame content providing goals after reaching perfection, additional animals and crops expanding agricultural variety, more craftable items and decorations for farm customization, expanded cooking recipes utilizing existing ingredients, and additional areas to explore beyond the current map boundaries. Basically, players want more of everything Stardew Valley already does well.
The Haunted Chocolatier Factor
Understanding when 1.7 might release requires acknowledging Haunted Chocolatier’s impact on Barone’s development schedule. His next game announced in October 2021 takes place in a haunted castle where players gather ingredients to make chocolate while managing supernatural threats. Progress updates have been sparse, with Barone admitting in August 2025 that development slowed significantly as he focused on Stardew Valley’s 1.6 update and console ports.
The chicken-and-egg problem becomes clear. Barone wants to finish Haunted Chocolatier but keeps adding to Stardew Valley. He wants to update Stardew Valley but must also develop Haunted Chocolatier. Both projects compete for his time and attention, creating a situation where neither progresses as quickly as they might if he focused exclusively on one. His suggestion that 1.7 might wait until after Haunted Chocolatier releases could mean Stardew Valley fans won’t see the update until 2027 or beyond if that game takes another two years.
The Solo Developer Reality
All of this operates within the constraints of Barone being a solo developer handling everything from programming to art to music to community management. Stardew Valley’s success came from one person’s singular vision executed with meticulous attention to detail. That same structure limits how quickly new content arrives because Barone can’t scale production by hiring teams. Every feature, every bug fix, every sprite and sound effect flows through him alone.
This explains both the lengthy development cycles and the quality consistency. There’s no design-by-committee dilution, no publisher pressure forcing compromises, no team miscommunications creating disconnected systems. But there’s also no division of labor, no specialists handling specific aspects, no ability to parallelize development across multiple simultaneous work streams. Fans get Barone’s unfiltered creative vision at the pace he can deliver it. No faster, but also no different than he intends.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Stardew Valley 1.7 release?
No release date or estimate has been provided. Barone said “it’s going to be a while” and suggested it might not come until after Haunted Chocolatier releases, meaning potentially years away.
What will the new farm type be?
Unknown. Barone only confirmed a ninth farm type is coming. Community speculation includes farms focused on relationships, coastal environments, underground caves, or other unexplored themes.
What are the character/social features?
Unspecified. Could be anything from new NPCs and romance options to expanded dialogue for existing characters, additional festivals, or deeper friendship mechanics.
How many farm types will there be after 1.7?
Nine total. Current options include Standard, Riverland, Forest, Hill-top, Wilderness, Four Corners, Beach, and Meadowlands. The ninth type remains a mystery.
Will 1.7 be free like other updates?
Almost certainly yes. Barone has never charged for Stardew Valley updates and has stated he wants players who bought the game once to receive all future content free.
What about the Switch 2 version?
Barone will announce something “very soon.” The Switch 2 port will include mouse controls, four-player split-screen, and Game Share multiplayer.
Is 1.7 the last Stardew Valley update?
Unknown. Barone keeps saying updates will be smaller then makes them massive anyway. He’s focused on Haunted Chocolatier but can’t seem to stop improving Stardew Valley.
Can you transfer saves to the new farm type?
New farm types are selected at game start, so you’d need to begin a new file to experience the ninth farm layout when it releases.
Worth The Wait
Eric Barone’s December 17 teases about Stardew Valley 1.7 give fans just enough information to fuel endless speculation while revealing almost nothing concrete. A ninth farm type, expanded social features, and mysterious additional content join the confirmed feature list, but implementation details, release timing, and scope remain completely unknown. This follows Barone’s established pattern of under-promising and over-delivering, where modest updates balloon into substantial expansions that justify years of development time. The lack of release date or even rough estimate frustrates players eager for new content, especially those who’ve already achieved perfection on existing farms and exhausted current gameplay loops. But Stardew Valley’s history suggests patience pays off. Every major update delivered more than initially promised, adding features and polish that exceeded community expectations. Update 1.6 started as a minor patch and became one of the game’s most significant content drops. There’s no reason to believe 1.7 will differ. Whether that justifies potentially waiting until 2027 or beyond depends on individual tolerance for extended development cycles. For the millions who return to Stardew Valley with each update despite owning the game for years, the answer is clearly yes. Barone’s perfectionist approach and refusal to rush content has kept this eight-year-old farming sim relevant and beloved long after similar games faded into obscurity. A ninth farm type might seem like a small addition, but it represents another reason to start a fresh file and experience Pelican Town all over again. Expanded social features could deepen relationships with characters players have known for nearly a decade. Whatever “lots more” actually means, it’ll probably surprise everyone when it finally arrives. The mystery is part of the charm. ConcernedApe has earned enough goodwill through consistent excellence that fans will wait as long as necessary. And when 1.7 eventually releases, probably larger and more feature-complete than anyone expects, those same fans will flood back to their farms ready to discover what new secrets hide in the valley. Until then, speculation continues and Pelican Town awaits whatever future Barone has planned.