Highlights
- Stardew Valley is the fifth best-selling game on Steam as of February 27.
- The sales surge coincides with the game's eighth anniversary, which was commemorated with a 24-hour 50% discount that likely contributed to this ranking.
- The anniversary was also commemorated with the announcement of Stardew Valley update 1.6, which is scheduled for release on March 19.
Stardew Valley is currently the fifth best-selling game on Steam as of February 27. Its reappearance near the top of Steam's bestsellers chart coincides with the game's eighth anniversary.
Developed by Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone, Stardew Valley has long been touted as one of the most successful indie games ever made. While its $14.99 price might suggest otherwise, the Story of Seasons-inspired farming sim is one of the most content-packed games of its kind. It's also still receiving updates, with its latest one being announced on February 26 in commemoration of the game's eight-year release anniversary.
Stardew Valley Theory Points to Possible New Island in Update 1.6
Some Stardew Valley fans are theorizing that the highly anticipated 1.6 update will include a new island for players to explore.
A day later, Stardew Valley found itself near the top of Steam's bestsellers chart, where it's currently ranked fifth. Although the announcement of yet another major update ostensibly renewed player interest in the game, its spike in popularity was also likely amplified by the huge 50% discount matching Stardew Valley's lowest-ever price. The offer was only live for 24 hours, having expired at 10am PT on February 27.
Steam Best-Sellers Right Now
- Helldivers 2
- Counter-Strike 2
- Steam Deck
- Last Epoch
- Stardew Valley
- PUBG: Battlegrounds
- Elden Ring
- Apex Legends
- Palworld
- Baldur's Gate 3
How long the game manages to retain its spot in the top 10 remains to be seen, but regardless, this development is another notable testament to its staying power. As for what's next for the farming sim, Stardew Valley update 1.6 promises to add seasonal outfits for Pelican Town denizens, more than 100 new lines of dialogue, two mini festivals, and new Joja endgame quests, among many other novelties. The update is scheduled to reach PC players on March 19, with ConcernedApe promising that the mobile and console versions of Stardew Valley will follow suit "as soon as possible."
Whether the upcoming update ends up being the final major addition to the game remains to be seen. ConcernedApe has long been saying that he wants to shift his attention to his next project, Haunted Chocolatier, but he never ruled out future Stardew Valley updates in doing so. Based on what the developer's been sharing on social media over the past several years, Haunted Chocolatier is already his main focus, and has been for a while now. The long-term success of Stardew Valley, which just recently surpassed 30 million lifetime sales, should ensure that ConcernedApe can take as much time as he wants with his next project.
Elden Ring Joins Stardew Valley's Sales Resurgence
Apart from Stardew Valley, another resurgent name on the latest Steam Top Sellers chart is Elden Ring, which is currently in seventh and has ranked as high as sixth in late February. Its popularity spike likely stems from the fact that FromSoftware has finally treated the RPG's long-awaited DLC to a release date, revealing that Shadow of the Erdtree is scheduled to drop on June 20.
