Key Takeaways
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Barone is still working on Stardew Valley following the release of patch 1.6 for consoles.
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Barone wants to get back into working on Haunted Chocolatier.
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There's no telling if 1.6 will be the final major update for Stardew Valley.
Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone said he is focusing on optimization and bug fixes for the recently released 1.6 console patch. This patch brings Stardew Valley's biggest update yet to Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and mobile. It was released on PC last March.
As everyone knows, Barone is also working on a new title called Haunted Chocolatier. It's intended to be a similar game to Stardew Valley, but with more action RPG elements and, as the name suggests, you run a bakery rather than a farm. Barone halted development on Haunted Chocolatier to complete Stardew Valley's 1.6 patch and bring it to all platforms where the game is available.
Work on Stardew Valley continues
“I'm looking forward to 1.6 being fully released on all platforms, then I'd like to finish Haunted Chocolatier next. Thank you,” Barone said in a recent post about the patch coming to consoles. Barone will almost complete that task with a few bug fixes. He recently responded to a fan asking for a Chocolatier update: “It will take time, but right now I'm focused on the Stardew update” (Good spot, GamesRadar+).
Barone has said in the past that he's finished updating Stardew Valley, but he's never stuck with it, much to the delight of Stardew Valley players. Some people have predicted that 1.6 will be the game's final major update, but Barone hasn't explicitly stated as much. Barone has continually expressed how much he appreciates the gaming community and how much he wants to give people new reasons to love the game, so it looks like he will continue to update Stardew when he gets the time.
For Haunted Chocolatier, Barone has mentioned a few times that he would like to be involved again in the development of the next game. Since its 2021 announcement, Barone has shared very little about the game, repeatedly saying he doesn't feel pressured by the work and doesn't like to share too much. We got a screenshot last September, but it's been quiet since then as Barone continues work on Stardew Valley.
The future is unknown, but Barone specifically used the word “finish” in the latest update to Haunted Chocolatier, which could imply that the game is nearing its conclusion. Although that's just my guess.
Haunted Chocolatier is a game being developed by Stardew Valley creator Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone. Similar to its famous predecessor, you have to build and run a chocolate shop. Barone said gameplay will be more combat-oriented.
