Stardew Valley and Cyberpunk 2077 may be two distinct games from entirely different developers, but oddly enough, they're currently in the same boat. Stardew Valley is now approaching its tenth anniversary, and Cyberpunk 2077 its fifth. Yet, despite their age, one might think they were born yesterday, as they keep shelling out updates as though they're still the talk of the town. To be fair, both games are actually still on the dominating side of that conversation, as their current followings are larger than even some more recent titles.
If nothing else, this just shows how successful these games have become over time, which is especially ironic for Cyberpunk 2077, a game whose disastrous launch almost had it considered dead in the water. With Stardew Valley's 1.7 update on the horizon and Cyberpunk 2077's 2.3 update having recently launched, though, this means that other projects by each game's developers might have been placed on hold for a bit. If not that, then at the very least, it suggests two titles that were once considered finished are apparently far from it, and it seems the devs would agree.
When 'Final' Updates Don't Actually Mean Final
Stardew Valley 1.7 Happened, Even With Haunted Chocolatier in the Works
One thing that's rather odd about Stardew Valley's 1.7 update is its timing. After the release of the game's 1.6 update, developer Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone confirmed that he would be shifting his focus to his upcoming title Haunted Chocolatier instead, as it had largely been placed on the back burner in favor of Stardew Valley up to that point. Even with that announcement, though, here comes the life sim's 1.7 update, with Haunted Chocolatier still in the works.
It's currently unknown what Stardew Valley's 1.7 update will bring to the game, as Barone hasn't announced a release date and has no estimate either. That could be good news for Haunted Chocolatier, as his unwillingness or inability to provide an estimated release date for Stardew Valley 1.7 suggests his hands are still mostly being devoted to the upcoming chocolate confectionery sim. Barone even confirmed in a comment on X that his "plan is that [Stardew Valley 1.7] will not hinder Haunted Chocolatier development," but that could also mean 1.7 won't be all that substantial of an update.
Cyberpunk 2077 2.3 Happened, Even After 2.1 Was Scheduled to Be the Last
Interestingly enough, Cyberpunk 2077 has had a similar post-launch story. Following the launch of the game's Phantom Liberty expansion and Cyberpunk 2077 update 2.0, CD Projekt Red released yet another update for the game, 2.1, bundled with the Ultimate Edition in December 2023. At that time, the developer stated that 2.1 would be the "last big update" for Cyberpunk 2077, but then Update 2.2 came in December 2024. If that weren't enough, CD Projekt Red then released Cyberpunk 2077's 2.3 update in July 2025, further confirming that the developer's initial note on finality was rather premature.
There's no telling yet whether Cyberpunk 2077 will receive a 2.4 update in the future, but it certainly shouldn't be counted out as a possibility, especially given how popular the game still is. What's most fascinating about both it and Stardew Valley, however, is how their developers can't seem to put them down, and that's likely why their players can't put them down either. Fortunately, for those awaiting the release of Haunted Chocolatier, Barone is still committed to its development. There's been no confirmation about the status of the next Cyberpunk game, but it's likely a similar story.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 90 /100 Critics Rec: 99%
- Released
- February 26, 2016
- ESRB
- E for Everyone (Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Simulated Gambling, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco)
- Developer(s)
- ConcernedApe
- Publisher(s)
- ConcernedApe
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- Proprietary
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Simulation
