5 min · May 28, 2026 · Stardew Valley
On February 26, 2026, Stardew Valley turned ten—and Eric Barone (ConcernedApe) marked the milestone with a retrospective video that ended in a very Pelican Town kind of reveal: two new marriage candidates are coming in update 1.7.
If you have been quietly hoping the blacksmith or the desert shopkeeper might notice your gifts, that wish is officially on the roadmap.
Who is joining the romance roster?
Clint, Pelican Town’s blacksmith, and Sandy, who runs the Oasis shop in the Calico Desert, will become full romance options.
Barone unveiled the news with his signature envelope gag after a half-hour look back at Sprout Valley prototypes and a decade of farming-sim growth. Follow-up posts showed sprite previews of both characters on their “big day” outfits—sweet, low-key, and very Stardew.
This is the first expansion of marriage options in a long while, and it lands differently from adding yet another young bachelor in the town square: Clint and Sandy already have established routines, friendships, and places in the world.
More than new heart events
In interviews around the anniversary, Barone also mentioned trying to make children “a little more interesting”—without spoiling specifics—and hinted that 1.7 includes surprises fans have not been loudly requesting.
Past patches taught us to expect the unexpected: new tools, festivals, or quality-of-life gifts often arrive alongside the headline feature.
When is 1.7 coming?
There is still no release date.
ConcernedApe has repeated the familiar mantra—ready when it’s ready—and is balancing Stardew with Haunted Chocolatier, now with a small team helping on Stardew work. Update 1.6 took nearly a year between announcement and launch; 1.7 could reasonably arrive in 2026, but speculation is just that.
Mochileaf will add gentle gift-and-routine notes for Clint and Sandy once the update is live and we have played through their events.
A cozy takeaway while you wait
Replay your current farm, finish a Community Center bundle you keep postponing, or take the bus to the desert to say hello to Sandy before the patch reshapes her storyline.
Stardew’s gift has always been patience—not perfection.
Marriage candidates and feature plans based on ConcernedApe’s February 2026 anniversary video and interviews. Details may change before release.