New ‘Stardew Valley’ content on the way, as game’s maker freezes next project

By Aaron Mamiit Published December 15, 2018

Eric Barone, the man behind Stardew Valley, said that more content is coming soon for the popular indie farming simulator, as he has placed the development of his next game on hold.

Barone, who is now self-publishing Stardew Valley for all platforms except Nintendo Switch and mobile, wrote in a lengthy blog post on the future of the game that he will keep making new Stardew Valley content, reversing his previous announcement that he will devote all his time to his mysterious next project.

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“This world is so full of potential, I could probably work on it for the rest of my life. There’s also such a wonderful community surrounding the game… and I like making you guys happy,” Barone said in the Stardew Valley developer update.

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To be able to keep working on Stardew Valley, Barone said that he will be forming a team to work on future content for the farming simulator. The upcoming version 1.4 update will be a solo update from Barone, but he is looking to have the team in place for subsequent releases. Once the team is up and running, Barone will be able to divide his time between Stardew Valley and his new game.

Barone, meanwhile, acknowledged the delay in rolling out Stardew Valley‘s 1.3 update, which contains the long-awaited multiplayer mode, to consoles, as well as the frame rate issues on the Nintendo Switch with the latest patch and the reported bugs on the PlayStation Vita. Barone clarifies that fixing the problems are his top priority, and that he works on the issues whenever he can, but it is Sickhead Games that has control over the console updates.

To focus on new Stardew Valley content, Barone said that he has placed his next game “on the back-burner,” after already working on it for a while. The details on the new project remain scarce, with Barone saying only that it will take place in the same universe as Stardew Valley.

“I’ve been deliberately secretive about it because I want to be able to work on it without any pressure for the time being. I also want to make sure the concept is fully realized before revealing anything, because once it’s out there, I’m going to have to fully commit to it,” Barone said in the blog post.

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Emily talking to the player in Stardew Valley.

After so many years of support, it might feel like there's nothing left that needs to be added or changed in Stardew Valley. This farming sim lets you live your best life in the quiet countryside with your own farm, NPCs to meet and date, Easter eggs to find, and quests to complete.

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NPC Map Locations