Eric Barone warns Stardew Valley that the hat mouse is missing, but only from Spanish games

Stardew Valley 1.6.9 has been released with some hiccups. These include missing chickens, and the sudden announcement that all pet hats must be removed to avoid performance problems. And these strange problems aren't slowing things down. ConcernedApe has assured us in various responses that the problems will be fixed in the next update. However, when that will happen is still a mystery.

A player on X has reported that the hat-selling mouse, who is usually located southeast of the Wizard Tower, is no longer there. The door to the shed is still able to be opened to access the shop menu, so it doesn't stop players from purchasing hats. The issue only affects players who have their language set to Spanish. ConcernedApe confirmed this after the bug was reported, and warned that the issue would be fixed in the next update.

No reason was given as to why the issue only affects players in Spanish. The consensus is that in Spanish, the banner for the store says 'Sombreros" instead of 'Hats", which could have caused the sprite and banner to not show. The hat mouse will still send you a letter inviting you to come buy hats. However, the shack's appearance will remain the same. The mouse has left an honesty box for you to deposit your gold in in exchange for the stylish new cap.

The mystery of the hat-wearing mouse is not as well-known as other issues discussed in this update. For example, the theft of chickens by "invisible" coyotes or the rash that affects dogs and cats, causing them to need hats removed, are both unsolved. I like to believe that our hat-wearing rodent is taking a well-deserved break. I can't imagine that selling hats to overworked farm workers is a forgiving industry. Many players think that the mouse is taking a siesta. This is also a good idea. It's nice to see people interacting with bugs, rather than getting upset about a missing sprite.

I hope that a fix for these issues will be released sooner rather than later. But I can't lie. I love how ConcernedApe responds to player reports. I can't imagine how stressful it would be to have people share everything that's wrong with a video game you created, but the way he handles it is admirable. Barone's stories about each bug help them to feel less like a bug and more like part of Stardew. I am looking forward to reading the stories behind them rather than the fix. Even though the hat-mouse didn't receive the same treatment. Yes, I am a little bitter.