Stardew Valley 1.6 Update: Every Major Change Explained

Stardew Valley 1.6 is the game's biggest free update since Ginger Island. It added the Meadowlands Farm, a Mastery system for maxed-out players, three new festivals, more than a dozen new machines and items, books, trinkets, 8-player co-op on PC and a long list of balance changes. It came out on PC on March 19, 2024 and on consoles and mobile on November 4, 2024.

Last checked: November 9, 2026. The latest version is 1.6.15 (1.6.15.1 on consoles).

This page sticks to what ConcernedApe's official changelogs list. The full 1.6 changelog contains spoilers, and so do a few points below; the biggest surprises are left out on purpose.

Stardew Valley 1.6 release dates

The update was free on every platform. If you play on PC through Steam or GOG, you get patches automatically.

New festivals and events

• Desert Festival. A three-day spring festival in the Calico Desert. You can only reach it after the bus to the desert is repaired.
• Trout Derby. A small fishing festival on Summer 20 and 21.
• SquidFest. A winter fishing festival on Winter 12 and 13.
• A new summer weather event. It changes the valley for a day; the changelog keeps the details secret.

Festivals now also get small map and dialogue changes every second year, except the Night Market and Desert Festival.

The Mastery system

Once all five skills (Farming, Mining, Foraging, Fishing and Combat) reach level 10, extra experience fills a Mastery bar instead of going to waste. Each Mastery level gives a point to spend in the Mastery Cave in Cindersap Forest, which stays locked until you have maxed all five skills.

Rewards are tied to each skill. They include the Advanced Iridium Rod, which holds two tackles, the Statue of the Dwarf King, which lets you pick one of two mining buffs each day, and Mystic Seeds, which grow a tappable tree. Golden mystery boxes also start dropping once you are earning Mastery experience.

New farm type: Meadowlands Farm

Meadowlands is the eighth farm map. It is built for animals: you start with a Coop and two chickens, and a chewy blue grass grows there that animals love. The farm type is chosen when you create a save, so you need a new game to try it. Our farm types guide compares it with the other seven, and the farm planner helps you sketch fields and buildings before you commit.

New machines and items

1.6 also added Moss, a resource that grows on old trees, plus Deluxe Bait, Mixed Flower Seeds, Raisins, Stardrop Tea, three Jelly fish (Sea, River and Cave Jelly) and the Goby. The Copper Pan can now be upgraded to steel, gold and iridium, and pans can be enchanted.

The new machines change the money math for crops and fish. The artisan goods guide covers what to process, and the crop profit calculator uses 1.6.15 prices.

Books, trinkets and other systems

• A bookseller now visits town twice a season. Books include 19 Books of Power with permanent perks, Skill Books that grant experience, and the Book of Stars, which gives experience in every skill.
• Seven trinkets add combat powers. The Anvil re-rolls them.
• Mystery boxes turn up as random rewards.
• A prize machine in Lewis's house pays out prize tickets earned from quests, special orders and repeat wins at the Egg Festival and Festival of Ice.
• A golden Joja parrot will find all your remaining Golden Walnuts on Ginger Island, for a price.
• Perfection waivers give the Joja route a way to skip perfection challenges.
• A big tree with a quest line that eventually brings new neighbors.

New crops, pets and home options

• Four new crops: Carrots, Summer Squash, Broccoli and Powdermelon. You cannot buy their seeds at a shop. Two new giant crops were added as well.
• More pets: once your first pet reaches max hearts, you can adopt more. Turtle pets and new cat and dog breeds were added, pets can wear hats, and pets that love you sometimes leave gifts.
• Four home renovations: a dining room, an attic, an expanded corner room and a cubby. Most renovations now cost money, refunded if you undo them.
• Decoration: 280 new furniture items, 25 hats, 41 floors and 24 wallpapers, plus themed furniture catalogues.

Multiplayer changes

• PC farms now support up to 8 players, up from 4.
• Building a cabin now costs only 100g, with no materials, and all cabin types share one menu entry.
• Steam players connect through Steam's authentication, and large network packets are compressed. Both changes target connection problems.
• All players now need the same version and build number to join, which prevents crashes between builds.

Our multiplayer guide explains how to host, join and use split-screen.

Balance changes worth knowing

A few other changes affect daily play:

• Passing out is gentler on gear. You can no longer lose tools, the Golden Scythe or Infinity weapons, and never more than three items. Money lost now scales with how much you carry.
• Grass survives winter, though it won't spread.
• Geode Crushers no longer need coal.
• Spouses get a seven-day honeymoon after the wedding, and friendship with a spouse rises 33% slower. The marriage guide covers the rest.
• Skull Cavern now has barrels on floors divisible by 5 and extra chests on floors 200 and 300. Our Skull Cavern guide covers how to get that deep.

What patch 1.6.9 added

The 1.6.9 update, which launched the console and mobile versions, also brought content to PC:

• Legendary fish can go in fish ponds, one per pond, and produce legendary roe.
• You can place a bed and sleep in any building that allows furniture.
• Items dropped in water float briefly, so you can grab them.
• A new character in the Secret Woods can recover lost items that cannot be found again, for a price.
• Willy's shop gained the Advanced Iridium Rod.
• Mobile got a hidden, experimental multiplayer mode.

Is there a Stardew Valley 1.7 update?

Yes, ConcernedApe has confirmed a 1.7 update, but it has no release date as of November 9, 2026. Confirmed so far: Clint and Sandy will become marriage candidates, the first new ones since Emily and Shane. A new farm type and social features have also been mentioned. Like 1.6, it is expected to be free.

Frequently asked questions

When did Stardew Valley 1.6 come out?

The 1.6 update came out on PC on March 19, 2024. Consoles and mobile got it on November 4, 2024, at version 1.6.9.

What is the latest version of Stardew Valley?

Version 1.6.15 is the latest, with consoles on 1.6.15.1. A 1.7 update has been confirmed but has no release date yet.

Do I need a new save for Stardew Valley 1.6?

No. Old saves load in 1.6 and get most of the new content. You only need a new save for things chosen at creation, such as the Meadowlands Farm.

What is the new farm in Stardew Valley 1.6?

Meadowlands Farm. You start with a Coop and two chickens, and it grows a blue grass that animals love, so it suits players who want to focus on animals early.

How do you unlock Mastery in Stardew Valley?

Reach level 10 in Farming, Mining, Foraging, Fishing and Combat. After that, experience fills a Mastery bar, and each level gives a point to spend in the Mastery Cave in Cindersap Forest.

Is Stardew Valley 1.6 free?

Yes. Like every Stardew Valley update so far, 1.6 was free for everyone who owns the game.