Stardew Valley allows players to upgrade their tools through a few different methods, with the highest tier for every tool being the rare purple mineral iridium. That is, every tool except one — the scythe only has a standard and gold variant and can’t be upgraded to iridium, which has left players with unsatisfyingly incomplete toolbars for years. However, players might soon be able to complete their shiny purple set of tools.
On Wednesday, Stardew Valley developer Eric Barone, also known as ConcernedApe, teased the long-requested iridum scythe update in a tweet.
iridium scythe
— ConcernedApe (@ConcernedApe) May 31, 2023
If the Stardew community’s reaction is any indication of things, this is a big deal. “FINALLY ALL PURPLE,” one fan responded.
While he didn’t officially announce the scythe in this tweet, it could mean that the coveted tool is headed to Stardew Valley’s upcoming 1.6 update. Barone announced the update in April, and while it will mostly include support for modders, it will also feature some new content (though he noted that it’ll include less than the game’s massive 1.5 update).
He is also taking a break from developing the Haunted Chocolatier, his next game that will include boss battles and, like Stardew, will accommodate “different playstyles,” to focus on developing Stardew’s next update.
We gave Stardew Valley a 9.5 in our 2018 re-review, praising its charming residents and exploration.
Amelia Zollner is a freelance writer at IGN who loves all things indie and Nintendo. Outside of IGN, they’ve contributed to sites like Polygon and Rock Paper Shotgun. Find them on Twitter: @ameliazollner.