TL;DR — Stardew Valley 1.7 Update
- Stardew Valley celebrated its 10-year anniversary on February 26, 2026.
- Developer Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone shared a retrospective video and message for fans.
- The upcoming 1.7 update will introduce two new marriage candidates.
- Players will soon be able to romance Clint and Sandy.
- The release date for update 1.7 has not been officially confirmed yet.
10 Years of Stardew Valley
On February 26, 2026, Stardew Valley celebrated its 10-year anniversary. On that occasion, the developer of Stardew Valley, Eric Barone, known more broadly as ConcernedApe, shared some thoughts about the game on the official website.
This includes a thank-you letter to the community and a YouTube video summarizing the Stardew Valley journey so far. We also got some breadcrumbs about the upcoming 1.7 update.
Stardew Valley Memory Lane – Eric Barone Anniversary Video
The video made by Eric focuses on showing the game as it evolved over the years and transformed from the early version called Sprout Valley into the life simulation game we know today:
He explains the development of the game, the difficulties, and the ideas that he enjoyed but eventually removed because they didn’t fit the game.
The Sprout Valley prototype already had a lot of mechanics that survived in some shape or form to this day, although the art style was significantly different — much simpler and raw.
Watching the pixel art evolution in Stardew Valley helps illustrate just how much the game changed during development.
One early feature that never made it into version 1.0 included procedural mines where players could destroy walls to uncover new sections.
Another interesting idea was the goblin village cut content. Yes, goblins once existed in early Stardew Valley builds. According to Eric, however, they are not canon, and the village was removed simply because it wasn’t fun — and games should always prioritize fun.
New Marriage Candidates in Stardew Valley 1.7 Update
In the video mentioned above, ConcernedApe also shared new information about the upcoming major update.
As revealed, the Stardew Valley 1.7 update will introduce two new romantic options for players:
Clint is a blacksmith encountered early in Pelican Town, responsible for upgrading tools and opening geodes containing valuable resources.
Sandy, on the other hand, lives in the desert region accessible after repairing the bus stop. She runs the Oasis shop, selling seeds and supplies such as cactus, beet, and starfruit seeds.
Both characters will become full romance options once the update launches.
Stardew Valley 1.7 Release Date
As of now, the release date for Stardew Valley 1.7 has not been officially confirmed.
However, looking at previous updates may provide some clues.
Update 1.6 was announced on April 16, 2023, and released nearly a year later on March 19, 2024.
Since update 1.7 was announced on August 30, 2025, there is a possibility that the new update could arrive sometime in summer 2026.
July 2026 is a reasonable guess, but it could easily slip into fall or winter. As ConcernedApe often says, the update will arrive when it’s ready.
Conclusion
Stardew Valley is one of the most impressive indie success stories in gaming. Eric Barone’s project not only reshaped his own life but also provided a relaxing escape for millions of players around the world.
The growing popularity of cozy games shows that many players are searching for peaceful experiences in gaming, and Stardew Valley continues to be a perfect example of that.
Happy anniversary, Stardew Valley — here’s to many more harvests, friendships, and adventures in Pelican Town!
Stardew Valley
Release Date: February 26, 2016
Genres: Role-playing (RPG), Simulator, Strategy, Indie, Adventure