Stardew Valley 1.7 Adds Two Spouses, Children Overhaul Revealed Feb 26

Eric Barone, better known as ConcernedApe, confirmed that Stardew Valley’s forthcoming 1.7 update will add two new marriage candidates and that he is reworking how children function in the game. IGN published an exclusive interview in which Barone said he plans to reveal the identities of the new romance options on Stardew Valley’s 10th anniversary, February 26, 2026.

Barone framed the children changes as a response to long-running fan feedback. “What I will say without maybe being too specific is that with this update, one of the things we're trying to do is... Well, there is a popular fan request, which has to do with the children, trying to make the children a little more interesting. So I'm trying to do something with that, but there's a lot of other things in the update as well that no one's really asked for, but I think people will appreciate it.” He also made clear he wants to keep details under wraps: “I'm trying to not reveal too much because I like it to be a surprise.”

The confirmation came during an interview tied to the game’s anniversary, conducted after a brief update on Barone’s other project, Haunted Chocolatier. Barone stated plainly, “I'm going to be adding two more marriage candidates,” and added, “I'll reveal who it is on the anniversary day.” He stopped short of naming whether those candidates will be entirely new characters or existing NPCs made romanceable, leaving room for community speculation.

The news has practical value for players planning long-term saves and for modders who map social systems. Stardew Valley’s update history shows this sort of post-launch expansion is precedent: characters Shane and Emily were added as marriage candidates in update 1.1, and the major 1.6 update launched on March 19, 2024, drove a significant player spike. Barone’s pledge to include “a lot of other things in the update as well that no one's really asked for” suggests 1.7 could bring unexpected quality-of-life or content additions beyond romances and family changes.

Community reaction has already started to crystallize into wishlists. Fans and outlets have floated existing NPCs like Sandy, the Wizard, Marnie, Linus, and Clint as popular choices, though those names remain speculative and unconfirmed. NintendoLife and Gosugamers captured the same mix of excitement and cautious restraint that has followed prior ConcernedApe updates: hope for meaningful new systems paired with appreciation for surprises.

Mark February 26, 2026 on your calendar if you want the reveal in real time. Expect the update to land as a broad content drop rather than a narrow patch; until Barone opens the curtain, prepare for romance, family changes, and at least a few delightful surprises that have become a hallmark of Stardew Valley’s free updates.