Stardew Valley Creator “Swears” On His Family Never To Charge Money For DLC

Taking to X online, the solitary developer of Stardew Valley, which has become one of the most popular indie games of all time over the course of the past 8 years or so, has made quite a bold statement regarding future content for the farming sim. Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone, in simple words, is never going to put the game’s DLC behind a paywall, and to back that up, he’s already sworn on his family. 

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,” reaffirms Eric in his reply to a fan. 

The heartfelt gesture is appreciated, but for those of us who have been following the game, it’s nothing out of the blue. Eric has been keeping pace with this practice for years on end, pumping out content for Stardew Valley consistently and never charging a penny for it.

In the last 8 years, the title has received more end-game content, new maps, a multiplayer mode, dozens of additional items, and countless tweaks here and there refining the core gameplay experience—all for completely free. 

ConcernedApe Also Provides Update On New Stardew Valley Content

Being a “forever game” for the creator, Stardew Valley has still got more content coming for it. What’s next is yet another PC update, and patch 1.6’s port to the rest of the platforms the game is on except for PC, because the latter is already out there. Xbox, PlayStation, Android, and Apple all await the March-released patch for Stardew Valley, following its initial release in March this year.

Stardew Valley first launched in 2016 for Windows and macOS, going on to release on other platforms in the subsequent years. As of February 2024, the title has rolled over 30 million units to date, signaling immense success across the board. eXputer wrote a revised review on the farming simulator, rating it 4.5/5.0, with author Moiz Banoori remarking, 

Even in 2024, Stardew Valley is a universally beloved and utterly timeless farming sim that can provide hundreds of hours of entertainment.”