Disney Dreamlight Valley will exit Early Access and have its official launch on December 5, 2023. It will also no longer launch as a free-to-play game so the team can "continue delivering on a premium game experience for all players."
In addition to all this big news, it was revealed that Disney Dreamlight Valley's first-ever showcase will take place on November 1 at 10am PT/1pm ET/5pm GMT. This stream will reveal details on A Rift in Time, the game's first paid expansion that will cost $29.99, will get you an extra 5,000 Moonstones (in-game currency), and will require the base game to play.
The team will also be giving a glimpse at future updates during the stream and will "unveil much-anticipated multiplayer features."
As to the decision to no longer become free-to-play, the team shared their reasonings and why it was important to do so. "As we look ahead to the official launch, with the learnings we've gained from Early Access, we’ve made the decision to remain a paid game for the foreseeable future," Disney Dreamlight Valley developer Gameloft Montreal said in a blog post. "This means we will not make the transition to be a free-to-play game when we leave Early Access on December 5th. This choice ensures that Disney Dreamlight Valley will be able to continue delivering on a premium game experience for all players.
"It's important to us that we maintain our promise to keep delivering free content updates that add new characters, realms, clothing, furniture, and more surprises to your Valley. Purchases requiring moonstones will remain optional, fair, and match the level of quality players have come to expect. Players will still be able to collect free Moonstones via Dream Snaps and Chests, or optionally choose to purchase them."
For those unfamiliar, Disney Dreamlight Valley was released into Early Access on September 6, 2022, and is a life-sim adventure game that feels like Animal Crossing/The Sims set in a Disney universe. It is filled with some of the most beloved characters from across Disney and Pixar properties and allows you to build a dream home, garden, fish, complete story missions, decorate, and so much more.
If you'd like to get into Disney Dreamlight Valley, you can still purchase one of the Founder's Packs until December 4. Starting on December 5, there will be new ways to buy the game, including the base edition for $39.99, the physical-only Cozy Edition for $49.99, and the Gold Edition for $69.99.
The base edition gets you 8,000 Moonstones, which are the in-game currency you can earn through play or by purchasing packs of them. The Cozy Edition gets you 14,500 Moonstones alongside a Cottage House Skin, five Raccoon companion skins, a cheshire cat sweater, 1 of 6 posters, and 1 sticker sheet. Lastly, the Gold Edition nets you the A Rift in Time expansion, 15,000 Moonstones, a flowery Capybara animal companion, the flowery summer cottage house style, and the artist's overalls avatar costume.
The Cozy Edition is now available on Nintendo Switch, and will be released on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, and Xbox One on November 10, 2023. Those who have purchased a Founder's Edition by December 4 will be gifted the cosmetic items from the Gold Edition and an extra 2,500 Moonstones.
In our Disney Dreamlight Valley Early Access review, we said it is "an awesome life simulator that flexes its iconic characters to riveting, satisfying effect. Adding these instantly recognizable villagers to your magical kingdom and forging friendships with them through quests is a blast, even when many of those amount to mundane village errands."
Since our review, the team has added characters, biomes, items, and more from the worlds of Toy Story, The Lion King, Encanto, Wreck-It Ralph, Stitch, and more!
Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.