On Feb. 26, 2026, developer ConcernedApe shared a special video celebrating the 10-year anniversary of Stardew Valley. At the end of a nostalgic walk down memory lane, he dropped the big reveal we'd all been waiting for: the two new marriage candidates arriving in 1.7, and they're certainly...a choice.Sandy and Clint are the two romanceable villagers joining the roster, and honestly, my first reaction was disappointment—probably the first time I've ever felt even slightly let down by anything Stardew Valley has done. But after sitting with it for a bit, I started to wonder if this might actually be exactly what these two characters needed.Image via ConcernedApePrior to the news, expectations for who might be revealed were all over the place, but I can confidently say I didn't see a single player wishing for Clint. The guesses I saw the most included Willy, Robin, Sandy, Linus, Marlon, and—my personal favorite—the Wizard. So when Clint's name popped up on that paper, I won’t pretend I wasn't disappointed. But hear me out: the more I think about it, the more it makes sense.Clint is easily one of the most overlooked and oftentimes even hated villagers in Stardew Valley, which is, unsurprisingly, why several posts on X (formerly Twitter) expressing disappointment over this choice have garnered plenty of likes from fans. This disdain is exactly what makes him such a strong choice, though, as he needs this character development and space to grow more than anyone else in Pelican Town. One player who was actively hoping for Clint to join the romance roster shared on Reddit that they wanted him to become romanceable "so he's forced to have character development to become more widely likable." And this is exactly why I also think this is the right choice. Shane is proof of how powerful that shift can be. He's totally frustrating and off-putting when you first meet him, but as you build your relationship with him, you get to peel back the layers and reveal a whole other side of him because he does have the option to form such a meaningful bond with your character. The space to grow and develop is what makes Stardew Valley's romanceable characters so memorable and lovable, so Clint joining the lineup gives him a shot at this, too. Image by DestructoidClint may be one of the game's least popular villagers right now, but this is exactly why his being upgraded to a romanceable companion works. If anyone could benefit from the added depth and development that comes with being romanceable, it's him—even if he wasn't on my personal wishlist.In the Stardew Valley 10-year anniversary post that ConcernedApe shared on Steam, he even seemed to tease fans about the prospect of marrying Clint. He's clearly aware of just how controversial and unexpected this choice is."With 1.7, My goal is to add more depth to various areas of the game that are somewhat lacking, without 'bloating' the game with too many systems. More depth, but not necessarily more complexity. I'm confident you'll be happy with the result. However, there is no release date, it's just 'in development.' Thanks for your patience.Oh, and you'll be able to marry Clint and Sandy.I know you've all been dying to marry Clint...right?...guys??.........Welp...."I can't say I'll be rushing to romance Clint the second the update drops, but I do think the extra development, along with a possible rewrite of some of his more frustrating moments, could do wonders for his overall arc. Sandy is also quite lovely and has always felt rather underused, so I'm thrilled she is finally getting the spotlight she deserves.Overall, the characters who are romanceable tend to be the most iconic for a reason—they're the ones with the most depth, the most development, and the most story to uncover. So even if Clint and Sandy weren't necessarily my first picks (and maybe not yours either), I'm starting to believe this update could be exactly what they need to become fan favorites.ConcernedApe has never let me down before, and I doubt this will be the first time. Don't get me wrong, though. I'm still patiently waiting for the day I can finally woo the Wizard. The post The new marriage candidates in Stardew Valley 1.7 aren’t what we want, but maybe they’re what we need appeared first on Destructoid.