Stardew Valley 1.7 update in development, no release date

Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone, creator of the bestselling farming and life-simulation Stardew Valley, told fans at a Symphony of Seasons concert in Seattle that another major update for Stardew Valley is coming, and later confirmed on social media that a "1.7" update is in the works. Barone offered no release date or feature details, but his announcement on stage and follow-up post ended months of uncertainty about whether he would return to further expand the nine-year-old game.

"After that last 1.6 update, I was thinking, I don't know if I'm going to make another update," Barone told the crowd, according to video posted from the event. He later wrote on his social account, "There will be a Stardew Valley 1.7 update. No release date, no estimate. But it's happening." The news drew cheers from attendees and immediate reaction across the game's large online community.

Barone's decision reverses earlier statements in which he said he intended to devote his main development time to his next project, Haunted Chocolatier. He has intermittently paused work on Haunted Chocolatier to produce major free updates for Stardew Valley, including the sweeping 1.6 update released last year. Barone...