Stardew Valley 1.6 Hidden Detail Proves ConcernedApe Is Listening

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Given the vocal nature of the community, it stands to reason that developer ConcernedApe has taken some cues from players over the years, and one fan has just discovered proof. Throughout its nearly decade-long lifespan, the fantastic farming RPG has been expanded upon with a wealth of new items and content for players to discover, and the latest 1.6 Update is no different. The Iridium Scythe, which was introduced in the latest major patch, is one such addition that was clearly based on an intuitive suggestion from a dedicated fan.

Posted to Reddit by user devourerofsugar, the fan unearthed an old post from 2021 by TzarOfMinecraft which suggests the inclusion of an Iridium Scythe that would have a 100% chance of turning cut grass into hay and would deal 20 damage when striking an enemy.

While that may seem like a coincidence, devourerofsugar pointed out that the version of the tool that exists in does exactly that. It's still unconfirmed whether this old post played a role in the creation of the Iridium Scythe, but it certainly suggests that ConcernedApe is paying attention to the community.

While the stats of both the pitched Iridium Scythe and the version that made it into the game are identical, it's worth noting that the manner in which the tool is acquired varies significantly. In TzarOfMinecraft's version, it would be acquired by reaching Level 125 in the Skull Cavern and right-clicking on an Iridium statue of a Grim Reaper, unlocking the scythe in the process. In reality, the Iridium Scythe can only be unlocked by entering the Mastery Cave, which was also added in Update 1.6, and choosing the Farming Mastery option.

This isn't the first time ConcernedApe appears to have used suggestions from the community to improve. The developer is known for taking particularly excellent mods that substantially add to the game and making them an official part of the experience. In the 1.6 Update alone, the Mushroom Log and Dehydrator items both originally started out as