Developer Gameloft has caused a stir among the Disney Dreamlight Valley community over the weekend, after what should have been exciting news for the game came with an asterisk too big for some to swallow.
First, the good. Disney Dreamlight Valley is officially leaving Early Access on December 5th, after more than a year of being available to play and receiving consistent updates to become a much more complete product.
The slightly less exciting news, is that the game will no longer be going free-to-play as it leaves Early Access, which was the original plan. It’ll remain a priced product, and on top of this will be adding its first paid Expansion Pass titled A Rift In Time. Naturally, not everyone is happy about it.
Hi Valley Villagers! Today, we have an update to share with you about Disney Dreamlight Valley leaving Early Access.
Scroll through the carousel and click below for all the details??https://t.co/3vofgQaz0l
— Disney Dreamlight Valley (@DisneyDLV) October 27, 2023
An update from the studio on the game’s official website attempts to justify the decision and reiterates that the quality of future, free and paid content as well as the ways that players are able to obtain Moonstones (the in-game currency that can be bought with actual money), will remain the same:
“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. 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.”
As of December 5th, new editions of the game will become available, including a standard and “Gold Edition,” the latter of which will include the base game and Expansion Pass along with exclusive added items. Gameloft says anyone who’s purchased a Founder’s Pack of any tier or does so before December 4th will also receive the Gold Edition exclusive items.
A physical “Cozy Edition” is also set to launch very soon on November 10th, with pre-orders available now.
The reaction from the DDV community and Disney fans who’ve been holding out for the free release has been contentious, so it’ll be interesting to see what Gameloft has cooking when it shows off its future plans for the game in a special first-ever showcase which is airing November 2nd at 4:00 AM AEDT on Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook Live.
During the stream, fans will get their first look at the Expansion Pass, which Gameloft is saying will include new characters, new biomes and gameplay features, as well as sneak perks at upcoming updates and new multiplayer features.
