One of the most anticipated games for the Nintendo Switch has finally received a release date.
Stardew Valley, the indie hit inspired by the Harvest Moon farming simulation series, will arrive on Nintendo's hybrid console Oct. 5, allowing virtual farmers all over the world to tend to livestock, water plants, and woo bachelors on the go. This marks the first time for Stardew Valley to be ported to a handheld console.
Stardew Valley Nintendo Switch Launch Date
The game was originally headed for the now-discontinued Wii U, but publisher Chucklefish decided back in November to develop it instead for Nintendo's then-upcoming console. Gamers have been buzzing about the Switch version for months despite the overwhelming lack of news regarding the port. Then fast forward to August, it was announced that the game was in testing.
Now, the game is all but ready for prime time. Stardew Valley has officially passed Nintendo's evaluation process, it seems like, and the game is finally arriving Oct. 5.
The game's developer expressed excitement in a blog post.
"I'm very happy to see Stardew come to a Nintendo console... I grew up on Nintendo, after all!"
The developer also mentioned that Sickhead Games was in charge of developing the Switch port of Stardew Valley, noting they worked very hard to make it happen. Sickhead Games is responsible for creating ports of titles such as Axiom Verge, Octodad: Dadliest Catch, and more.
Stardew Valley Multiplayer Release Date
Stardew Valley is going to cost $15 on the Switch. It will also be the first console to receive the game's multiplayer update, which will enable players to share their farms with up to three friends. According to Chucklefish, beta testing will start on PC later this year, with an official rollout planned for early 2018 for the Switch, then other consoles.
Stardew Valley can be played on PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and the Switch, but Nintendo's console is the only portable platform in that group. Sure, laptops are portable, but lugging around a Switch is certainly much easier.
Gamers planning to buy the Switch version should make sure they have plenty of storage left, as the game will occupy nearly 900 MB of space, according to a Reddit post.
Stardew Valley has earned acclaim both from critics and fans, with IGN saying it beautifully combines farming and RPG elements, and Polygon saying it might even be better than Harvest Moon, the game it was inspired from.
