Eric Barone sat down for a major interview with IGN to mark Stardew Valley‘s upcoming 10th anniversary on February 26. The solo developer behind the farming sim phenomenon discussed the game’s journey and dropped hints about future additions that have caught fans’ attention.
The big takeaway? Barone appears open to adding new marriage candidates in a future update. This would mark the second time he’s expanded the romance roster post-launch. Emily and Shane both became marriageable through the 1.1 update after the game’s initial release in 2016.
Barone made it clear he’s not interested in bloating Pelican Town with brand-new NPCs. His focus remains on adding depth to existing characters rather than expanding the cast. That suggests any new romance options would come from the current pool of non-marriageable residents.
The game launched on PC on February 26, 2016 as a one-man passion project. Barone handled everything from pixel art to music to programming. What started as a spiritual successor to Harvest Moon became a defining title in the cozy games movement and has sold tens of millions of copies across all platforms.
Stardew Valley has remained a living game through years of major free updates. New areas, quality-of-life improvements, multiplayer support, and content expansions have kept players invested. The most recent update cycle brought Ginger Island and a host of other additions.
Adding marriage candidates requires substantial work. Each romanceable character needs custom heart events, unique dialogue, post-marriage behaviors, and schedule changes. Barone previously ran a community poll asking which NPCs should become marriageable. Sandy and the Wizard were runners-up in that voting.
The anniversary comes as Stardew Valley continues to expand beyond gaming. A concert tour called Festival of Seasons has been on tour, featuring orchestral arrangements of Barone’s soundtrack. An album of those arrangements hit streaming platforms recently.
