and come "sometime next year

Stardew Valley creator Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone has been hard at work on the 1.7 update for some time now, teasing fans about what to expect – and it sounds like it'll bring much more than just two new marriage candidates to the table.

We already know we'll be able to romance Clint and Sandy come 1.7, and that we'll get a new farm type with the update. It sounds big enough as is, considering just those elements and the other social features ConcernedApe has teased – but it's not just big, y'all.

According to the mastermind developer, it might just be the biggest that Stardew Valley has ever seen… even bigger than 1.5 and 1.6, which boasted added regions, festivals, and more.

He reveals as much during a recent Stardew Valley Symphony of Seasons concert at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado, as posted over on Reddit by an attending fan.

After recalling how incredible his farming sim's growth has been, he mentions the patch that's on everyone's mind. "We're working on the 1.7 update, which is looking to be the largest Stardew Valley update ever," he says. "It's jam-packed."

ConcernedApe doesn't stop there, either. In his own words, "Clint and Sandy are just the tip of the iceberg – there's so much more in the update." He even drops a release hint: "You guys are in for a real treat, and it'll probably come out sometime next year."

Next year is just a couple of months away at this point, which means we could get the new Stardew Valley update a whole lot sooner than expected (should the stars align, of course).

There are a good few months in 2027, though – you know, a whole 12 of 'em – so there's no telling just yet whether or not we'll get 1.7 toward the start of the year or the tail end. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for the former, but ConcernedApe's a busy guy.

He's got Haunted Chocolatier to grapple with, too, which he previously admitted is "taking a long time" to get right – but getting things right is his priority.

Stardew Valley "3DVR" mod looks like a whole different game, is "fully playable" and compatible with all of your existing mods