After a long silence: Stardew Valley developer shares an update on his next game

Stardew Valley turns 10 this February, and developer Eric Barone, also known as ConcernedApe, still has plenty on his plate. As recently as December, he shared a first glimpse of what to expect from patch 1.7. Meanwhile, Haunted Chocolatier, his planned second game, has been on hold since 2024. At the time, Barone explained that development would be paused until his work on Stardew Valley was complete, though he was specifically referring to version 1.6.

Since that announcement, news surrounding Haunted Chocolatier has been scarce. While ConcernedApe did share a screenshot from the ghostly chocolate factory game in the summer of 2025, fans had already begun to worry that the project might never see the light of day. A new blog post from the developer has now put those fears to rest.

On the official Haunted Chocolatier blog, Eric Barone reassures fans that development is still very much ongoing and that he has no intention of abandoning the game. He also dismisses rumors claiming that Haunted Chocolatier could end up as an expansion for Stardew Valley. Barone emphasizes that he is in good health and has been particularly productive recently, addressing speculation about potential health issues. As for a release date, he reiterates that the game will launch “when it’s done,” without offering a concrete timeline. On Reddit, fans have responded with strong support, with many saying they are happy to wait as long as it takes.

The blog post also features two new screenshots from Haunted Chocolatier, offering fans a fresh look at the game’s charming and spooky world.