Stardew Valley creator says Haunted Chocolatier will not be abandoned amid rumours

Eric Barone confirms Haunted Chocolatier remains in development and rejects claims project will be cancelled

Stardew Valley creator Eric Barone, known as ConcernedApe, has rejected claims that his next project, Haunted Chocolatier, could be abandoned, confirming that work on the game is continuing.

In a blog post published on January 28 on the official Haunted Chocolatier website, Barone offered a direct update on the title’s progress and addressed speculation circulating online.

“Hey everyone, good news: I’ve been very productive lately on Haunted Chocolatier. Yep, it’s taking a while to finish the game. That’s okay. I know, I know, I shouldn’t have announced the game so early. But I had my reasons,” he wrote.

The developer said he wanted to “debunk a few myths” about the simulation game after seeing a number of assumptions gain traction among fans.

One of the main claims suggested that Haunted Chocolatier might be scrapped and its ideas folded into Stardew Valley. Barone dismissed this outright. “No. First, I am not going to abandon Haunted Chocolatier,” he stated.

He added that even if development were to stop, the project would not be merged with Stardew Valley because the two games are built separately.

Barone explained that Haunted Chocolatier was created from scratch and does not share the same engine. “You can’t just copy and paste Haunted Chocolatier into Stardew Valley,” he said.

Barone also responded to the theory that ongoing Stardew Valley updates were being used as a testing ground for the new game.

He said continued support for Stardew Valley was simply due to its popularity and the size of its player base, not because it was connected to Haunted Chocolatier’s design.

Another rumour suggested the game would not arrive until 2030, based on comments he made in 2025.

Barone clarified that he had only said “I hope so” when asked if it would be released within five years, adding that he has no intention of announcing a date.

“TLDR: I’m alive, the game is still in development, and it will come out when it’s ready. Thank you for your patience,” he concluded.