The player standing with a massive cast of Disney characters in front of the center plaza wishing well.

Screenshot via Dot Esports

When will Disney Dreamlight Valley be free to play?

A whole new world is waiting for you.

Payton Nash

Kacee Fay

Dominique' McClain

, and

Austin Ernst

Published: Oct 28, 2023 02:39 pm

Because Disney Dreamlight Valley has so much to offer, many players are likely wondering if and when the game will become free to play.

Is Disney Dreamlight Valley free to play?

Disney Dreamlight Valley is not free to play as it is still in an early access state, and while it was originally slated to become free to play before the end of 2023, it is now planned to remain a paid game instead.

Gameloft said they made the decision to have Disney Dreamlight Valley “remain a paid game for the foreseeable future,” which means there’s still somewhat of a chance this could change, but it won’t be for quite some time if it does. The devs still plan to deliver consistent free updates, but you will have to purchase the base game before you can gain access to these.

When will Disney Dreamlight Valley become free to play?

Disney Dreamlight Valley was originally confirmed to become free to play at some point before the end of 2023, but on Oct. 27, 2023, Gameloft announced their decision to no longer turn the Disney game into a free-to-play title for the foreseeable future.

Gameloft’s official website for the Disney game originally promised a “free-to-play launch in 2023,” but the blog post they shared on Oct. 27, 2023, backtracked on this decision.

The devs said they made this choice to ensure “Disney Dreamlight Valley will be able to continue delivering on a premium game experience for all players.”

They also mentioned it’s “important” to them they can maintain their promise to “keep delivering free content updates that add new characters, realms, clothing, furniture, and more surprises” to the world of Disney Dreamlight Valley, which is part of why they made this decision.

The player taking a selfie with the Forgotten and smiling. — The valley has been packed with developments recently, and more are planned in the near future. Screenshot via Dot Esports

What to expect from Disney Dreamlight Valley?

Players have had two Disney Dreamlight Valley roadmaps released in 2023, with the first one now being concluded and the second being actively in progress.

Most of the second roadmap has now been released except for the final section, which teases new characters, frontiers, the integration of a multiplayer feature, another Royal Tool for players to use, and the start of a new chapter arriving before the end of 2023. A lot of this teased content seems to be tied to the “A Rift in Time” expansion pass.

The player looking at their counterpart, the Forgotten, in surprise as the Forgotten holds a stolen orb. — Although the original main storyline recently ended, another one has been teased to be arriving in the future. Screenshot via Dot Esports

When will Disney Dreamlight Valley be released?

Disney Dreamlight Valley will officially launch on Dec. 5, and you will have to purchase one of a few editions to gain access to the game. With the new versions, the lowest-priced option is $39.99.

A table showing the content and the prices of Disney Dreamlight Valley after the game leaves early access. — The original Founder’s Packs won’t be available anymore. Image via Gameloft

Disney Dreamlight Valley will not be free-to-play anytime in the foreseeable future, and players are fairly divided over how they feel about this decision. Most are hoping Disney Dreamlight Valley remaining a paid experience means fewer microtransactions while others aren’t as optimistic, especially after seeing content like the “A Rift in Time” expansion pass, Ursula’s Transformation Dream Bundle, and the Dapper Wall-E Dream Bundle.

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Author

Payton Nash

Freelance writer for Dot Esports. Washed-up Immortal VALORANT player and one-tap aficionado. Wanted to be a streamer once, and now he writes about them.

Author

Kacee Fay

Staff Writer at Dot Esports covering new releases and a wide array of topics including Minecraft, Disney Dreamlight Valley, Phasmophobia, general gaming, streaming, and more. She has been avidly writing and gaming her whole life and now spends her time combining the two. Kacee graduated from San Diego State University in 2021 with a Bachelor’s Degree in English and a Certificate in Creative Editing and Publishing. She then joined Dot Esports as a Freelance Writer in 2022 before transitioning to a Staff Writer in 2023. In her spare time, she enjoys buying more books than she can read, gaming alone or with friends, drinking too much tea, attending concerts, fangirling over movies and television, listening to music, and spending time with her family, friends, and pets, who are the most important parts of her world.

Author

Dominique' McClain

Dominique' McClain is a passionate writer on anything Esports and video games. She has 4+ years of experience covering games in the industry and enjoys Overwatch 2, Fortnite, and Elden Ring.

Author

Austin Ernst

Austin is an Updates Writer and Fallout Fanatic. He founded his podcast channel, Shared Screens, and his words can be found at Six One Indie and TheGamer on top of writing for Gamurs. Austin is recently married as of October 2022, and has two Aussie dogs.