Yes, Stardew Valley is now an esport and features a $40k prize pool

In the wonderful world of esports, nearly every game can be turned into a competition giving the right circumstances, and no better example has been offered than cosy farming simulator Stardew Valley, with developer ConcernedApe recently unveiling the Stardew Valley Cup. 

That's right, developer ConcernedApe shared on Saturday that a brand-new competition featuring a hefty prize pool of $40k was set to take place in September, featuring content creators and speedrunners from the Stardew Valley community.

This isn't the first time we've seen a Stardew Valley competition, with a Twitch Rivals event taking place back in 2019 to celebrate the game's third anniversary, however, it's the first one featuring online play, as teams of four players will group to take on different challenges.

So what's going down and when is the Stardew Valley Cup happening? Let's break down everything we know.

Stardew Valley Cup - Schedule

The Stardew Valley Cup is set to take place this upcoming 4th September starting at 12 pm ET / 4 pm GMT.

The event is going to be casted by ConcernedApe alongside UnsurpassableZ, a content creator and one of the tournament's organisers. 

Stardew Valley Cup - Teams

A total of 16 competitors, split into four teams, will take part in the Stardew Valley Cup. Take a look at who's competing down below: 

Sandy's Candies:

• TheHaboo
• lilsimsie 
• brandiganBTW
• Fuzzireno

Pierre's Cherries:

• Cordite89
• Waligug
• Mr Penguinpanda 
• Lichatton

Pam's Yams

• PianoAddict
• AlbinoLiger
• SeanieDew
• Matthew McCleskey

Krobus's Crocuses

• KingNooblit 
• Bla_De 
• SharkyGames
• Therm 

Stardew Valley Cup - Format

All teams will start on a beach farm and will score points based on in-game accomplishments. The harder the challenge, the more points they'll accrue. 

Some examples include finishing the Community Center, winning a fishing competition, dance with an NPC during the Flower Dance, and more. In total, there are 100 challenges to complete.

• Read more: Stardew Valley 1.5 Update patch notes: Ginger Island, local co-op, beach farm, more

For a full breakdown of all challenges, check out UnsurpassableZ YouTube video embedded down below.

Stardew Valley Cup - Prize pool

As mentioned, the Stardew Valley Cup features a $40k prize pool, with all teams taking a piece of it home. Here's the breakdown:

• 1st: 28,000
• 2nd: 10,000
• 3rd: 4,000
• 4th: $1,600

Stardew Valley Cup - How to watch

You can catch all the action on UnsurpassableZ Twitch channel embedded down below where developer ConcernedApe will be chiming in.

You can also directly search for each content creator's Twitch channel for a more unique perspective.

So there you have it, stay tuned to our video games section for more news and features.