Stardew Valley developer Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone has announced via the official Stardew Valley developer blog that the 1.3 multiplayer update for Nintendo Switch will be available this upcoming Wednesday, December 12. The patch will go live on the North American, Japanese, and European eShops. The multiplayer patch has been available on the PC version of the game since August, while the PS4 and Xbox One versions are next in line.

The multiplayer support will allow 2-4 players to connect via local wireless play or online through Nintendo Switch Online and play together. Players may use an existing save file or start a whole new one. Each player will have their own cabin too. Money and the game world are shared between the players, but they will have their own "private inventories, skills, achievements, collections, individual relationships, quests, and crafting/cooking recipes." Players can even marry one another in the game!

Listed as "Nintendo Switch Features," players may use an in-game chat option with close to 200 custom Stardew Valley emojis or use voice chat through Switch online voice chat. It's unclear if this will be like Fortnite's built-in voice chat or happen through the Nintendo Switch app on mobile phones.

For those more into farming alone, there are also new single player goodies to dive in to. New events and shops in the Winter happen, new character events, and (most importantly) your horse may now wear a hat. Barone teases that there is "much more to be discovered" as well.

This patch for the Switch and Stardew Valley as a whole has been in development for quite some time. The Switch patch entered Quality Assurance in early October 2018. Multiplayer went through a public beta on PC for roughly three months before being released on August 1, 2018. When the patch went up on the PC version, there was also a new trailer showcasing the new multiplayer. You may watch that trailer below if you'd like.