Stardew Valley's Big 1.6 Update Boosts Its Steam Player Count to Record-Shattering Levels

ign.com:

Stardew Valley Update 1.6 is out now on PC, and it’s already breaking player records on Steam.

Developer Eric "Concerned Ape" Barone launched the content drop today, bringing loads of new additions and tweaks to the beloved farming sim after months of waiting. It’s proving to be a bit of a moment for fans, too, as according to SteamDB, Stardew Valley’s player numbers are soaring to new heights.

At the time of this story’s publication, there are more than 136,000 players currently logged on Steam alone. That number is climbing rapidly, too, burying the previous record of 94,879 in January 2021. It’s also worth noting that Stardew Valley 1.6 is available on GOG, and Barone says that the update will soon make its way to Game Pass, too.

Stardew Valley’s 1.6 might be its most anticipated drop yet, and the lead-up to its launch is proof. Barone helped drum up fan interest by releasing individual lines from the patch notes over the last few weeks. These have ranged from fascinating to hilarious, with some highlights including quality-of-life changes to resource gathering and the added ability to drink mayonnaise (ew). The full patch notes are littered with other interesting alterations, explaining why so many players are choosing now to dive in again or even for the first time.

Stardew Valley is available on mobile devices as well as PlayStation, Switch, and Xbox consoles, but its 1.6 update is not available on those platforms yet. Barone has yet to announce a release date. If you’re one of the thousands of players heading to go spruce up your in-game life today, you might want to read up on the developer’s thoughts regarding modding in 1.6 first. You can also be sure to check out how the game will evolve in the future.

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.

Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.