Stardew Valley update 1.7 is starting to take shape, with new romance content confirmed and other ideas on the table. Here’s what was discussed during the game’s 10th anniversary interview.
Stardew Valley 1.7 Update Details Revealed
Two New Marriage Candidates Confirmed
Stardew Valley creator Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone confirmed two new marriage candidates for update 1.7 and discussed possible changes involving children and a farm map editor in a 10th anniversary interview published on February 3.
Speaking to IGN, Barone said the new candidates will be revealed on February 26, Stardew Valley’s 10th anniversary. It is still unclear whether these new marriage candidates will be entirely new characters or existing villagers who players have long hoped to romance, like Marnie or Linus.
Regardless of whether they are new characters or familiar villagers, new marriage candidates bring additional heart event scenes, fresh character dialogue, and unique farm areas.
Barone also discussed plans to update how children function in the game, confirming that version 1.7 will address a long-standing fan request "to make the children a little more interesting." While details remain limited, Barone said he is intentionally holding back specifics because he wants it to be a surprise. Currently, children in Stardew Valley offer little in terms of gameplay depth, primarily remaining in the farmhouse without meaningful interaction.
Barone also hinted at more additions for update 1.7, saying, "...there’s a lot of other things in the update as well that no one’s really asked for, but I think people will appreciate it." He also discussed a potential farm map editor that would allow players to create and share their own farm layouts, noting that the idea could add "almost infinite replayability to Stardew Valley."
The interview comes as Stardew Valley approaches a major milestone. Barone reflected on the game’s longevity and the unexpected scale of its continued success, noting that the community’s enthusiasm has played a major role in keeping him invested in the project.
"I've been blown away by how popular Stardew Valley is, how many people have played it, how it continues to be popular 10 years after launch. I think that's a crazy thing," Barone said. "It's not something I would've ever expected, but the amount of love for the game is one of the reasons I've continued to work on it for so long. It's difficult to stay locked into one project for 15 years. I definitely have urges to work on other things, but then Stardew Valley keeps drawing me back in, really just because there's so many people who love the game."
Update 1.6, released in March 2024, was a new high point for Stardew Valley, pushing the game to a new concurrent player peak on Steam and surpassing 235,000 users. Following the update, Barone said in a previous interview with PC Gamer that "I’m committed to not working on Stardew Valley until I’m done with Haunted Chocolatier," leading many fans to assume this would be the game’s last major update for some time.
In late August 2025, Barone confirmed during a Symphony of Seasons concert that Stardew Valley would receive a 1.7 update. While he did not share specific details at the time except hinting at "new character/social stuff" and a new farm type, the announcement signaled that development on the farming sim was continuing after all.
Asked about what Stardew Valley would look like in another decade, he said "In 10 years there'll be a few more updates, which just make the game even more what it's supposed to be. I feel like with every update, I'm trying to make Stardew Valley its ultimate form, fully self-actualized. So hopefully in 10 years, Stardew Valley is fully self-actualized."
As of writing, no release window for the 1.7 update has been confirmed.
Source:
Stardew Valley Turns 10: The Big ConcernedApe Interview
Eric Barone talks Stardew Valley & Haunted Chocolatier | ConcernedApe Interview
Stadrdew Valley Steam Charts
