Honestly, if you haven’t logged into Grow a Garden on Roblox this week, you’re kind of missing the chaos. The game has been on a wild ride lately. One minute we’re dealing with developers stepping down, and the next, there’s a giant egg in the middle of the map that everyone is staring at like it’s a religious relic.
If you’re wondering what is the next update in grow a garden, the short answer is: Hungry Birds.
It is officially dropping Saturday, January 17, 2026. This isn't just another minor patch where they fix a Spinosaurus passive or stop pets from glitched aging. This is a full-blown event update that’s replacing the somewhat controversial "Feed a Pet" week.
The Hungry Birds Event: What’s Actually Changing?
The update goes live at 1 PM ET (10 AM PT). If you’ve been playing for a while, you know the drill: the "Admin Abuse" event usually kicks off an hour early at 12 PM ET. That’s when the devs start spawning weird weather and restocking the shops manually. Just a heads-up, though—the admins are notorious for oversleeping, so don’t be shocked if the shop restocks are a few minutes late.
Here is the breakdown of what is coming in this specific update:
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- The Bird Nest: There’s going to be a new single-square plot right in the center of the map. It’s a Bird Nest.
- The New Pets: We are getting a fresh batch of flyers. The leaks and wiki updates confirmed a lineup including the Black Bird, Cuckoo, Brown Owl, Gold Finch, and something just called "Birb."
- Mechanics: Expect the Bird Egg pets to be flying around that center nest.
It feels like a much-needed breath of air after the "Feed a Pet" event, which a lot of players—myself included—thought was a bit thin on content. I mean, waiting ten minutes for an egg to hatch just to give it a piece of fruit? Kinda mid.
Why Everyone Is Talking About the "New Developer"
There’s been a lot of drama behind the scenes. Jandel recently stepped down as the owner, and for a minute there, the community thought the game was basically dead. You’ve probably seen the "Grow a Garden fell off" videos popping up on your feed.
But here’s the thing: the new dev team seems to be trying to stabilize the ship. They’re sticking to the weekly Saturday update schedule that made the game a massive hit in 2025. Remember when this game hit 16 million concurrent players? That was insane. We’re not at those levels right now, but the fact that they’re still pushing out new seeds and pets every seven days is a good sign.
What Happened to the New Year’s Items?
If you’re looking for the Firework Burn Seed or the ColourPop Crop Seed, you might have missed the boat if you didn't finish the New Year’s track. The Firework Burn Seed was actually cracked—it shot firework orbs that reduced growth time for neighboring plants by 60 seconds.
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Right now, the shop is still lingering on some old stock. The Bonanza Bloom is still floating around for a staggering 10 trillion Sheckles (or 1,799 Robux if you’re feeling spendy). It’s a beast of a plant because it cuts hatch times for nearby eggs based on how many Carnival Cosmetics you have. If you’re a heavy trader, you probably already have this, but for casual farmers, it’s a steep price.
Winter Items: Are They Staying?
We’re mid-January, and the Season 3 winter-themed pets like Frosty Bite and Cryo Rose are still appearing. It’s unclear if this is a bug or if the devs are just letting the winter season bleed into February.
- Frostwing (0.5% chance) is still the big hunt.
- Pollen Cone remains the Season Pass go-to.
Practical Tips for the Saturday Update
When the Hungry Birds update hits, the map is going to be crowded. If you want to actually get the new pets without lagging into oblivion, try to snag a private server if you have one.
What you should do right now:
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- Clear your inventory: Only 100 items fit in that backpack. If you're full of carrots and strawberries when the birds drop, you’re going to have a bad time.
- Save your Sheckles: Don't blow everything on basic seeds Friday night. The new event usually introduces a limited-time seed in the main shop that restocks every 10 minutes.
- Check the Weather: Mutations (Silver, Gold, Rainbow, and BIG) only happen during specific weather events. If the admins start "Admin Abuse" at noon, that is your best window to plant your high-value seeds for a chance at a HUGE mutation.
The game is definitely in a "transition phase" with the new management, but the Hungry Birds update is the first real test of 2026 to see if they can keep the momentum going.
To stay ahead of the next update, keep an eye on the in-game countdown timer located near the shop. The developers usually update the "Next Update" board about 24 hours before the patch goes live, which often leaks the name of the next major seed or pet coming to the garden.
Next Steps for Players: Log in at 12 PM ET this Saturday to participate in the Admin Abuse event for shop restocks, then stay for the Hungry Birds launch at 1 PM ET to grab the new Bird Egg pets and the central nest rewards. Make sure to sell your current harvest before the update to ensure you have maximum backpack space for the new event items.