Stardew Valley Creator Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone promises that future updates to his beloved farming sim will be completely free, just like the previous ones.
Stardew Valley’s development began 12 years ago now, with Barone acting as the impressive single-handed studio behind this iconic indie gem. Since the game’s release in 2016, the solo developer has released various updates – some small, others quite significant. Each patch, whether minor or filled with new content, has not come in the form of “DLC” and has never cost players a dime – and Barone assures that they will remain that way forever.
I swear on the honor of my family name that I will never ask for money for a DLC or an update as long as I live. Take a screenshot and shame me if I ever break this oathJuly 22, 2024
In a recent jobcreator promises this: “I swear on the honor of my family name, I will never ask for money for a DLC or update as long as I live.” Barone says fans can hold him to his word if he ever goes back on his word – though as a Stardew fan, I doubt he will. Especially when I think about past massive patches like this year’s Update 1.6 and how free they were. “Take a screenshot and shame me if I ever break that oath.”
This sentiment may also apply to Barone’s future games, as he doesn’t specify that he’s talking only about Stardew Valley – Haunted Chocolatier is on the way, after all. It’s also unclear how many additional free updates Stardew will receive. The creator still thinks he could “keep working on the game forever,” he admitted that “at some point you have to move on.” For now, version 1.6.9 is in development for PC players – it’s not yet known if there will be a 1.7.0 version.
Want more? Here are our favorites games like Stardew Valley.