Stardew Valley 1.6 update release date and patch notes we know so far

18.03.2024 - 19:33 / gamesradar.com / Hirun Cryer

The Stardew Valley update 1.6 release date is right around the corner, though we're getting something a little bit different in the build-up. Over the past week or so, creator Eric 'Concerned Ape' Barone' has been releasing one patch note at a time—ranging from the helpful to the silly, all of them have provided plenty of entertainment.

The Stardew Valley update 1.6 release date is slated for March 19. Yes - that's tomorrow! However, we don't yet know at what time the update itself will be going live around the world. Developer ConcernedApe hasn't yet notified players as to the time the update will launch at.

Despite this, rest assured that the Stardew Valley update 1.6 will arrive on PC when it launches on March 19. You can expect the patch to go live on mobile and console "as soon as possible," so sit tight.

Over the past week or so, ConcernedApe has been unveiling one patch note for the 1.6 update per day. This might sound a little small potatoes, but it's pretty reliably kept everyone on their toes, and provided a great deal of weird information for players to delve into.

The first patch note for the 1.6 update was that you'll be able to pass through pets a whole 0.75 seconds quicker. Secondly, the downward swing of the sword has been increased in size, something which apparently bugged ConcernedApe a great deal, so you'll now more reliably hit enemies and objects beneath you.

Thankfully, there are also bug fixes aplenty in Stardew Valley update 1.6, fixing issues that have quietly been in the game's background for over seven years now. One issue that's being remedied is a bug that made it faster to harvest from left to right, compared to the other way around. 

Another tweak is that chopping down trees will cause saplings to grow at a faster rate than before. There's a little more to it than that though - if the tree is mature, so the fruit quality is higher than basic, it'll yield a sapling of the same quality as the tree and its fruit.

Elsewhere, marriage will have a "honeymoon" period, so that newlyweds no longer lounge around in bed depressed for seven days. You'll also be able to drink an entire jar of mayonnaise, just in case that's your jam and you feel like inflicting the torture on the taste buds of your Stardew character. 

Finally, the Stardew Valley update 1.6 patch notes finish at chest items now being color-coded, so jellies, wines, pickles, and juices will now be color-coded while you're storing them.

Stardew Valley has sold over 30 million copies as of last month in February, and ConcernedApe says it's "thriving more than ever."