“I would never charge for DLCs” – Developer of popular Steam game willingly leaves a lot of money on the table

The developer behind Stardew Valley swears “by his name” that he will never charge money for DLCs. A rarity in the gaming market.

When one publishes a successful game on Steam, it’s usually just a matter of time before a DLC is released for it. And in most cases, that DLC costs money. Of course, more development time has gone into it, and that should be compensated. Right?

Not always, as one developer resists ever charging money for DLCs. And that for one of the most successful games on Steam.

How was it with Stardew Valley? Stardew Valley is one of the most successful games on Steam overall. It’s basically “the one” farming game with cute pixel graphics and yet a depth of gameplay and so much content that one can spend several weeks in it without a break.

However, after its release, Stardew Valley has received a lot more updates. New, big features, new farm designs, a brand new island, and plenty of hidden story details. These are so many contents that other developers would probably have offered as DLC and charged extra for it.

What does the developer say about it? At “ConcernedApe” it was different – he doesn’t want to earn any additional money from the game even years after the release. A few days ago he said on X:

I swear on the honor of my family name, I will never charge money for a DLC or an update as long as I live. Take a picture of this and shower me with shame if I should ever break this vow.

The statement could also be understood as a criticism of all other game developers who charge money for every DLC – because there are indeed plenty of these examples.

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ConcernedApe felt compelled to explain the statement a bit more precisely afterwards:

I do not criticize developers who charge money for DLCs. The circumstances of each are different. This is just my own approach and should not be understood as criticism of anyone.

ConcernedApe on X

After all, you should remember the promise. Because even if Stardew Valley still receives updates, ConcernedApe is turning more and more toward his next game “Haunted Chocolatier” – and it will likely also do without paid DLCs. If not, remind him of it. He wants that.