Stardew Valley Creator Teases New Features Coming in the 1.7 Update

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Eric Barone, who created the popular game Stardew Valley, has announced that update 1.7 will include two new characters you can romance, along with more content related to marriage. The previous big update, version 1.6, came out on March 19, 2024, and added lots of new features, bringing a huge surge of players back to the game.

Data from SteamDB shows that Stardew Valley reached a peak of over 235,000 concurrent players on Steam when the 1.6 update was released. Many fans thought this would be the last update for the game, as the creator, Barone, was focusing on his new project, Haunted Chocolatier. But as Stardew Valley approached its tenth anniversary, Barone hinted at one more update with new content.

Stardew Valley 1.7 Has New Romanceable Characters and ‘More Interesting Children’

To celebrate the ten-year anniversary of Stardew Valley, creator Eric Barone (ConcernedApe) hinted at what’s coming in update 1.7. He revealed plans to add two new characters you can romance and make the game’s children more engaging. Barone kept details limited, saying he wants to keep some things a surprise, but confirmed, “I’m going to be adding two more marriage candidates.”

Image via ConcerendApe

It’s currently unknown if the new characters will be completely original additions or existing, previously unseen residents of Pelican Town who will become romance options. Regardless, this news will likely thrill the Stardew Valley community, as players have frequently requested more characters to romance. Fans won’t have to wait long to find out, as the creator, Barone, plans to reveal the new dateable characters on Stardew Valley‘s 10th anniversary, February 26th.

Regarding updates to the children in the game, Barone didn’t reveal much, but mentioned they’re working on making interactions with them more engaging. Players have pointed out for a while that kids in Stardew Valley don’t have a big impact on the game or story. Barone seems to recognize this and is likely planning improvements. Fans are already guessing what those changes might be, suggesting things like letting children age and adding more meaningful interactions between parents and their kids.

Image via ConcerendApe

Stardew Valley 1.7 Will Be Full of Surprises

Fans have often asked for more marriage options and more engaging children in Stardew Valley, but the developer, Barone, suggests update 1.7 will include much more than just those features. He’s hinted at plenty of unexpected surprises, saying there are many additions players haven’t even requested. This aligns with the history of Stardew Valley updates, which are usually full of unforeseen content – like the new tools and items added in version 1.6 that most players didn’t predict.

Fans Should Mark February 26 on Their Calendars

On February 26th, Stardew Valley will celebrate its 10th anniversary, and creator Eric Barone plans to share details about the next update. While fans already know the two new characters you can romance will be revealed, there might be more surprises. Considering how Barone has released updates in the past, he could also give us a first look at other new additions to the game.

There’s no confirmed release date for update 1.7 yet. However, Eric Barone, the creator of Stardew Valley, has brought on a small team to help with the update, which should help speed up the development process and potentially mean it comes out sooner than previous updates.

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2026-02-03 22:04