The creator has addressed worries that the new chocolate-shop game was abandoned or folded into Stardew Valley.
Haunted Chocolatier is still in development. ConcernedApe explicitly ruled out abandoning it on January 28, 2026, and described active work again on June 25. No release date has been announced; 2030 is not a confirmed target.[1][2]
Is Stardew Valley replacing it?
Since the 2021 reveal, Stardew Valley has continued receiving updates. That prompted speculation that the new game's ideas would simply be added to the farm game. The developer addressed this directly: Haunted Chocolatier was built separately from scratch and cannot be pasted into Stardew Valley. He also rejected the suggestion that Stardew updates secretly test the new game's mechanics.[1]
Will update 1.7 slow development?
Possibly a little. In September 2025, ConcernedApe said a small team helps with Stardew Valley, allowing him to spend most of his time on Haunted Chocolatier.[3] His June 2026 post explains one source of the long wait: repeated redesigns of the chocolate recipe book. Even the number of clicks and the layout of ingredients matter because players will use that screen frequently.[2]
Why do people mention 2030?
Asked in 2025 whether release within five years was possible, he said he hoped so. He later clarified that this was not a promise of a 2030 launch.[1] Reddit users discussing the June update acknowledged the lengthy wait while expressing support for careful development.[4]
The next meaningful milestone is an official dated announcement. For now, the haunted shop has a developer at work; the opening-day sign simply remains blank.
