"I'm not criticizing devs who do charge for DLC": Stardew Valley creator explains his stance on free updates in a state of burrito-deprived sleeplessness

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"This is just my own approach and not to be taken as a critique of anyone else"

Stardew Valley character known as Elliott, a man with long auburn hair and a red coat
(Image credit: ConcernedApe)

Stardew Valley creator Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone has clarified his stance on paid expansions after swearing on his family name to never charge for DLC or updates.

Yes, in case you missed it, a few days ago Barone offered a small update on the console and mobile versions of Stardew Valley 1.6, assuring fans they're still underway and offering a solemn pledge to never release a paid content update. Now, Barone has expanded a little on this position to make it clear he wasn't criticizing other developers for asking players to pay for updates.

"btw, I'm not criticizing devs who do charge for DLC," Barone said. "everyone's circumstances are different. this is just my own approach and not to be taken as a critique of anyone else."

In response to a fan concerned about his wellbeing due to the very early hour in which the above tweet was posted, Barone replied: "sometimes i wake up early and then have a hard time going back to sleep because my mind is active. today is one of those days. oh well, time to get out of bed and have a breakfast burrito." Relatable as heck, honestly.

While Barone is busy making free updates for Stardew Valley - 1.6.9 is in the works for PC and the aforementioned ports are coming to console and mobile - he's also hard at work on the Stardew Valley follow-up, Haunted Chocolatier, which looks like a cocoa-infused, spooky take on Stardew with a little more focus on action and combat. And while he recently admitted he could "keep working on" Stardew forever, he did imply he would eventually shift his focus toward Haunted Chocolatier, saying, "at some point you have to move on.

Itching for more? Here are our favorite games like Stardew Valley.

Jordan Gerblick
Jordan Gerblick

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.