In April of 2023, Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone, the brilliant mind behind the incomparable Stardew Valley, downed tools on the in-development Haunted Chocolatier and seemingly never returned. Over the past year and change, this culminated in the eagerly anticipated release of update 1.6 on PC, with console ports the cause of the creator's consternation.
On X, Barone posted an update, acknowledging how long both console and mobile ports are taking to come to fruition. In what should probably not come as too much of a surprise, his crusade to ensure the longevity of the established IP, going so far as to swear on the family name that he would never charge for DLC, has meant that Haunted Chocolatier has been languishing ever since.
Barone admitted: "I have not touched Haunted Chocolatier in a long time because I am committed to finalizing Stardew 1.6 first." He apologized for the delay and thanked fans for their patience. It seems Stardew Valley remains his first love, but we'll be eagerly anticipating Barone's return to the development of Haunted Chocolatier as patiently as we possibly can.