In the midst of players excitedly waiting for an eventual launch date reveal for Stardew Valley Update 1.7, a number of alleged leaks have claimed to show early looks at the new content coming in the next big expansion for the beloved farming sim. These rumors have ranged from new competitive romances to full-on exploration of Zuzu City, which would massively shift the gameplay pacing and storyline depth in Stardew Valley. However, audiences should mitigate any expectations and dial back any assumptions, as the game’s creator, Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone, has quickly stepped in to share an official statement on what is and is not real among these “leaks.”
One of the key reasons for Stardew Valley’s success over the years has been the fact that each new update for the game has come completely free of charge. Players have never had to pay for any DLC, even as Stardew Valley saw major developments over the years, including the addition of Ginger Island and multiple new farm layouts. The game’s most recent expansion, Stardew Valley Update 1.6, saw over 100 NPC dialogue interactions added, along with new seasonal outfits, another farm type, changes to pets, and more end-game content. Audiences have been very vocal about their satisfaction with Update 1.6, but the confirmation of an Update 1.7 has once again stirred up speculation among fans and has even led to some claiming to have access to leaked content.
ConcernedApe Gives Official Statement on Stardew Valley 2
Stardew Valley creator Eric ‘ConcernedApe’ Barone unveils the surprising truth behind the possibility of a direct sequel to the beloved farming sim.
Are the Stardew Valley Update 1.7 Leaks Real?
Speaking very directly on the matter, ConcernedApe has clarified that any claims of leaked content for Stardew Valley Update 1.7 are entirely fake. Among the supposed leaks that have been doing the rounds on social media were allegations that Stardew Valley would be implementing a romance rivalry system similar to games like Harvest Moon, in which players would have to compete with other NPCs to earn the affections of the romanceable citizens of Pelican Town. ConcernedApe addressed this particular rumor by stating that he has “no plans to ever add something like that” to Stardew Valley. Other supposed leaks included footage of the Pelican Town Bus taking players to Zuzu City, sparking rumors of a major map expansion in Update 1.7, but online community members have quickly dispelled those allegations by pointing to modded versions of the game that offer the same cutscenes and content.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Easy (5)Medium (7)Hard (10)
At the time of writing, the only official reveals for Update 1.7 have come via ConcernedApe himself. He shared a celebratory 10th Anniversary video, which gave an early look at the game in the earliest days of its development and even included an announcement of the two new marriage candidates coming to Stardew Valley. There has otherwise been very little in the way of any actual teasers, and ConcernedApe’s dismissal of the alleged leaks should be a reminder to players to always await an official statement from the game’s creator before getting excited or worried about online rumors. While ConcernedApe has previously acknowledged community feedback as a helpful guide for deciding what to change in Stardew Valley, there is no guarantee that fake leaks becoming popular will have any actual influence on the development of the game.
Another important element to consider is that many mods for Stardew Valley already cover content requests for the farming sim, and ConcernedApe has made it clear he fully supports the modding community and wants to make sure they are able to continue creating their own alternate versions of the game. Again, though, just because a mod is popular does not necessarily mean its content will be adopted into the official, canon version of Stardew Valley. As far as Update 1.7 is concerned, it may still be some time before ConcernedApe is ready to share another reveal or fully launch the expansion, so interested players will want to follow along for any news on when the next big update finally comes to Stardew Valley.
- Released
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February 26, 2016
- ESRB
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Everyone 10+ / Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Simulated Gambling, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco
- Developer(s)
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ConcernedApe
- Publisher(s)
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ConcernedApe
