Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone confirmed a new 1.7 update for Stardew Valley, and said it may delay his next game, Haunted Chocolatier, a little. This matters because Barone is splitting time between supporting the popular older game and working solo on the new title, which could affect Haunted Chocolatier’s timeline.
The developer posted details on the official site in an official Haunted Chocolatier announcement, answering the obvious fan question: will Stardew Valley’s 1.7 slow down Haunted Chocolatier? His answer was blunt – “Maybe a little, but not as much as you might think.”
Barone noted that a team helps with Stardew Valley updates now, which changes how he splits responsibilities. Past updates often had him “fully, personally locked-in on content development the whole time,” while for 1.7 he has tried to take more of a “creative director” role – letting others handle much of the hands-on work so he can focus on Haunted Chocolatier.
That balance isn’t perfect, though. The developer admits he will at some point “spend a little more time” on 1.7 himself because “I need my hand to touch every piece of new content.” He also says it “might even be after Haunted Chocolatier comes out” and that there are “no guarantees” either way. Barone emphasizes Haunted Chocolatier “will be released at some point” and that he is “working completely solo” on the new game with no plans to change that.
Fans should take the update as a mixed signal – good news for ongoing Stardew support, slightly slower for the new game. Will it matter much?
I’ll read readers’ takes in the comments and on X and Bluesky, so feel free to share thoughts and reactions there.
