Stardew Valley is officially crossing over with free-to-play gacha game Infinity Nikki. Starting on September 1, 2025, the indie farming game is making a multiverse splash into the fashion-themed world of Miraland, and some fans aren’t happy.
In the days since the collaboration’s announcement, the Infinity Nikki fanbase has surprisingly pushed back against the free crossover event. The new crossover comes alongside the game’s long-awaited Nikki’s Cosy Home feature which allows players to customise a large house with furniture and farm materials.
While some fans have responded positively to the new Stardew Valley announcement, others have criticised Infinity Nikki developer InFold for using the event to “cover up” recent issues regarding in-game updates and the developer’s own criticism on leaks for upcoming content.
Infinity Nikki developer InFold isn’t the only party that’s been criticised during this situation with Stardew Valley creator Eric ‘ConcernedApe’ Barone also being attacked for allowing the crossover to exist.
In a statement on Twitter, Barone explained that he didn’t even accept any money for the gacha game crossover. Instead, he simply allowed the crossover to happen as he genuinely enjoys the game, and thought his fans would as well.
“There have been a few collaborations between Stardew Valley and other games over the years,” Barone told fans. “To be clear, I never receive any money from these collabs. I’ve only done them because I was a fan of the other games, or because I genuinely thought the players would like it.”
Following Barone’s statement, InFold also responded, thanking the developer for the collaboration and further explaining that the event is a free additional bonus for Infinity Nikki players.
“We really appreciate you sharing your feelings on this. Any unintended stress was the last thing we wanted. It was our way of saying thanks—a free love letter to Stardew Valley from our team and for the community,” the developer said.
“Working on it felt like we were all tending a little farm together. The care and detail you pour into your world is exactly why we want to make cozy games too. We’re still learning from you every day.”
Even this statement from the Infinity Nikki developer has resulted in criticism from the game’s fanbase with players stating the game’s core issues have still yet to be addressed.
The Stardew Valley x Infinity Nikki is still slated to release for free on September 1, 2025. At the time of writing, the developers have yet to confirm exactly what the crossover entails, but we should find out more soon.