Disney Dreamlight Valley: Gets Extensive New Details on Keepsake Sea Expansion Ahead of Release
Disney Dreamlight Valley fans may still be trick-or-treating through the cozy life sim’s spooky-season activities, but there’s much more content just around the corner with the upcoming The Keepsake Sea expansion. The highly anticipated update has been teased for some time, but a treasure trove of deep-diving details was recently dropped during a dedicated showcase for the release.
Arriving November 18th, The Keepsake Sea plans to pile the fan-pleasing features and content as high as Cinderella’s Castle, with new Villagers, a fresh storyline, original biomes, novel ways to play, and much more. First up, five new characters – encompassing a mix of classic favorites and deep cuts – are coming to the Valley. Spread across three distinct biomes, these Villagers include Peter Pan‘s Captain Hook and Wendy, Hercules‘ Megara, Milo Thatch from Atlantis: The Lost Empire, and everyone’s favorite pillaging and plundering protagonist, Captain Jack Sparrow.
Players will encounter these Valley newcomers in a storyline that unspools across the new Shipwreck Shores, Candy Cove, and Kingdom of Oublier biomes. Of course, these areas aren’t just themed backdrops, but expansive, explorable lands filled with objectives, interactions, and secrets just begging to be discovered.
But the expansion is digging – or diving – even deeper, adding some significant new gameplay features. True to its nautical theme, the update introduces the ability to transform into Merfolk, letting players take their adventures beneath the surface of The Keepsake Sea‘s varied biomes.
While getting your feet, er, fins wet and gathering resources under the sea, you’ll also be joined by Disney Dreamlight Valley’s very first Adventure Companion, Finding Nemo’s Dory. The forgetful, blue tang fish will not only tag along on your deep sea journey, but assist with navigation and item collection.
Perhaps coolest of all, Dory won’t be lost when you break the surface, but will instead seek safety in a bubble that allows her to continue following you. Conversely, non-Merfolk Villagers will roam the ocean floor in personal submarines. Additionally, your highly customizable finned form can, well, just keep swimming, on the surface of other large bodies of water within the existing Valley.
Swimming only represents one of the new ways you’ll navigate The Keepsake Sea, as wannabe-scallywags can also captain and customize their very own pirate ship. This feature, too, packs plenty of its own game-evolving pixie dust. For starters, your unlockable craft is required to access specific areas of the map, so it’s not only a means of transportation, but a powerful key of sorts. The ship’s also equipped with a crane, letting players plunder the sea’s mysterious depths for special resources and rewards.
As the captain of your own Black Pearl-like vessel, you can also handpick your crew, selecting up to four of your favorite Villagers to bring aboard. Whether you’re hanging out with your shipmates above deck or braving what lies beneath the surface in Merfolk form, you can also expect numerous ways to personalize your experience. Much like your customizable Valley house, there are specific areas under the water and on your ship that you’re encouraged to tweak and tailor to your personal style.
As Dreamlight Valley’s biggest expansion, The Keepsake Sea serves as a great jumping in point for first-time players. With that in mind, a number of newcomer-friendly versions of the game will be available at launch. The $59.99 Keepsake Sea Edition includes both the base game and expansion, while the $79.99 Ultimate Edition includes that same content, as well as last year’s equine-themed Wishblossom Ranch expansion.
Existing players, only looking to purchase the expansion, also have two options: a Base edition for $16.99, and Deluxe version with extras for $49.99. For a full rundown of all the upcoming offerings – and their included bonuses – as well as significant sales on older versions that will soon be discontinued, head over to Disney Dreamlight Valley‘s digital storefront.