Stardew Valley Creator Says He Never Profits From Game Crossovers

Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley creator Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone has clarified that he has never earned direct money from in-game crossover collaborations.

Barone shared this information after the announcement of Stardew Valley’s latest crossover, this time with Infinity Nikki. In the reveal, a Junimo — a beloved spirit from Stardew Valley — appears in Infinity Nikki’s world. While the addition seemed fitting given the cozy and whimsical tone of both games, it sparked mixed reactions among players. Some welcomed the idea, while others questioned why Barone would agree to such collaborations without compensation.

To address the concerns, Barone posted on X (formerly Twitter) stating that he doesn’t take payment for these crossovers. Instead, he agrees to them either because he personally enjoys the games involved or thinks the Stardew community would appreciate the content.

Stardew Valley has only had a handful of collaborations over the years, making them relatively rare. In 2022, the game partnered with Terraria for a fun crossover, and more recently, Stardew characters appeared in the card game Balatro. Now, with the Infinity Nikki crossover set to go live on September 1, 2025, the farming simulator will mark its third collaborative project.

Following Barone’s post, the official Infinity Nikki account responded with a heartfelt message to the Stardew community. The team explained that their intention wasn’t to cause stress but rather to celebrate Barone’s work. They described the crossover as “a free love letter to Stardew Valley,” adding that the development process felt like “tending a little farm together.”

Stardew Valley remains one of the most successful indie titles of all time, with more than 41 million copies sold worldwide as of December 2024. The game recently made headlines as it became the highest-rated game of all time on Steam, overtaking Valve’s legendary Portal 2.

Currently, Barone is working on Haunted Chocolatier, which he described as a "deeply personal" project for him, even though the public has only seen a small slice of it so far.