Stardew Valley's creator has been releasing plenty of free updates in the eight years since its release, and "on the honor" of their family name, they promise they always will be
"Screencap this and shame me if I ever violate this oath."
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Ever since it launched in 2016, every Stardew Valley update has been free, and Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone has no intention of changing that.
Stardew Valley has had a lot of longevity over the past eight years, in part because of its devoted fandom and large amount of replayability, but also because ConcernedApe has consistently released big updates for the game with lots of new content. Some updates have been bigger than others, of course, but they've kept players coming back. The big thing, though, is that they've always been free - you won't pay a single penny more for the game outside of the $15 it costs you when you first buy it. And, as spotted by GamesRadar, ConcernedApe has made it clear on his personal Twitter that no matter what, he will never, ever charge for DLC or an update.
ConcernedApe recently explained that the 1.6 update that PC players have had access to for a while is still in the works for the game's ports to other platforms, including PC and mobile. "I have personally been working on the mobile port every day," ConcerenedApe explained. "I will announce when there is any meaningful news." In response to this, one fan said that as long as everything the developer does is completely free, people won't complain for the wait, thanking ConcernedApe for the dedication to Stardew Valley.
In turn, ConcernedApe responded: "I swear on the honor of my family name, I will never charge money for a DLC or update for as long as I live. Screencap this and shame me if I ever violate this oath." That's a pretty big commitment to make, though an entirely believable one given the years of free content that has been added into Stardew Valley, so you can probably take Barone at his word.
Of course, ConcernedApe also has another game in the works, Haunted Chocolatier, and while he's feeling the pressure, he's trying to not let him get to it too much.