Stardew Valley 1.7 update: Everything we know so far

Stardew Valley Update 1.7 is confirmed to be in development with Eric ‘ConcernedApe’ Barone having most recently dropped a tease in September 2026 in the form of a riddle.

The update remains without a release date or estimated window of arrival, but ConcernedApe previously made clear that he intends to shorten the gap between the PC and console rollout.

Several of Update 1.7’s additions have already been confirmed, including Clint and Sandy as marriage candidates and a new farm type, as well as an overhaul to children mechanics.

Here is everything you need to know ahead of Update 1.7’s arrival in Stardew Valley, including every officially confirmed tidbit from Barone as well as some intriguing theories about that riddle.

Stardew Valley Update 1.7 Riddle

What is the latest Stardew Valley 1.7 update?

In September 2026, ConcernedApe took to Discord to share the following riddle, teasing Stardew Valley’s next free update: “Two paths will be extended / Three will become four / The mermaid’s fruit will go free.”

The riddle is yet to be explained by ConcernedApe although we do know it is directly teasing Stardew’s next update as evidenced by the “For 1.7”.

At this stage though, every ‘explanation’ concerning the riddle remains a theory.

What could 'two paths will be extended' mean?

ConcernedApe has already confirmed that Sandy and Clint will become marriage candidates within Update 1.7, prompting many to assume that “two paths will be extended” is in reference to this.

Alternative theories wonder whether the line concerns a possible extension of the Community Center and JojaMart routes which are competing quests the player can engage with.

You can choose to fix either one with both quest routes offering different rewards. It’s possible that ConcernedApe may be teasing an extention of these routes.

What could 'three will become four' and 'the mermaid’s fruit' mean?

A prevalent theory for “three will become four” suggests the possible addition of a new map as Stardew Valley currently has three: the main map, Calico Desert, and Ginger Island.

Some players have suggested that the ‘growing up’ system could be extended as ConcernedApe has confirmed an overhaul of the game’s child mechanics.

Already though, Stardew Valley has four stages of growing up, seemingly ruling this theory out. Other ideas concern the addition of a new dungeon or pet type of which there are currently three main types for both.

As for “the mermaid’s fruit will go free”, that’s leaving fans perplexed. The main theory suggests that this is related to the child mechanics overhaul. Perhaps children will now be able to go to school instead of being trapped in your house.

All of these theories are just that, theories, with no official answer yet available.

When is the Stardew Valley 1.7 release date?

There is no release date, release window or public estimate. The update was announced on 30 August 2025 after the Symphony of Seasons concert.

Developed ConcernedApe is also working on a new game by the name of Haunted Chocolatier and has been vocal about this being his main focus for now, having originally announced the game in 2021.

ConcernedApe has noted that he hopes to lessen the gap between Update 1.7’s rollout on PC and consoles after Update 1.6 took eight additional months to reach console users.

Which features are confirmed for Stardew Valley 1.7?

Clint and Sandy will become marriage candidates

ConcernedApe

To celebrate Stardew Valley’s 10th anniversary in February of 2026, ConcernedApe announced that blacksmith Clint and Oasis store owner Sandy will become marriage candidates within Update 1.7.

This means that players will soon have new NPCs they can date and marry, adding to the 12 existing options: Alex, Elliot, Harvey, Sam, Sebastian, Shane, Abigail, Haley, Leah, Emily, Mary, and Penny.

Children and social interactions are being expanded

As per an interview with IGN, also in celebration of the game’s 10th anniversary, ConcernedApe confessed that he hopes to make children more “interesting” in Update 1.7.

“There is a popular fan request, which has to do with the children, trying to make the children a little more interesting,” he said.

“So I'm trying to do something with that, but 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.”

There’s no official word on what this will look like for players. On Twitter/X, ConcernedApe slightly extended the tease, promising “more character/social stuff”.

A new farm type is coming

Also on Twitter/X, it was confirmed that Update 1.7 will feature a new farm type.

“It’s also traditional to add a new farm type,” ConcernedApe wrote, although did not specify the farm’s name, layout, or bonuses.

Which Stardew Valley 1.7 features are rumours or unconfirmed?

In the aforementioned interview with IGN, ConcernedApe voiced his interest in adding a farm map editor to Stardew Valley although confessed he hadn’t settled on whether it will happen or not.

“One idea that we were toying with for 1.7, I don't know if this will happen or not, but was adding a farm map editor for the public. So you could basically make your own,” he said.

He explained that it would be cool to have players share their map designs, adding “infinite replayability” to Stardew Valley, but the idea remains just an idea. ConcernedApe has debunked a number of false rumours including the notion of rival marriages and in-game infidelity.

Theories surrounding the extension of the Community Center and JojaMart routes or the in-game child system are just that, theories.

No patch notes have been issued for Update 1.7 and ConcernedApe is yet to outline the update’s compatibility with existing saves and high profile mods.

Based on previous updates, mod users should expect to verify SMAPI and individual mod updates at launch, but this is merely guidance and not a guarantee.

Will Stardew Valley 1.7 be free and which platforms will get it?

Stardew Valley’s 1.7 update is expected to be free as is the case with all former updates as ConcernedApe previously pledged never to charge for a DLC or update.

Again, while the update will come to all platforms, no rollout plan has been specified nor has a release date been locked in.

ConcernedApe hopes to minimise the gap between the PC and console rollout as prior Stardew Valley updates have arrived on PC first. Update 1.6 took eight additional months to reach consoles.