Dreamlight Valley will become free to play in 2023 after a successful early access launch in 2022. Existing players have been able to enjoy multiple expansions as well as holiday content, and game developer Gameloft has modified the game through several patches to address existing gameplayer feedback before launching their announced free to play version of Disney Dreamlight Valley in 2023.
There’s always chatter online about free to play ruining video games. If not implemented properly, slow servers, bugs, and game balance issues can plague a game that has gone free to play. Fortunately for Dreamlight Valley, the game structure (plentiful resources, nonexistent combat) will alleviate many of those issues.
What Will Happen When Dreamlight Becomes Free to Play?
Many games have gone from a paid to a free to play model over the years. Doing this enables the developer to keep interest in the game while still creating a revenue stream due to in-demand in-game items. In Dreamlight Valley, the special star paths, as well as a future ability to possibly purchase Moonstones, will likely become the game’s profit-makers when it comes to in-game transactions.
Moonstones: Dreamlight Valley’s Tokens
Mainly, Moonstones will be available for purchase, per the game’s developer, Dreamloft. Moonstones unlock special premium items in the game, but you do not need any of those items to play. Most of them are aesthetic collectibles. Anyone who has played the game so far can see that Moonstones were clearly created for this purpose, so the free to play model was built into the initial design.
What’s great about Moonstones is that you can also earn them in game, albeit at a slow rate. If you really want a specific item, you will not be barred from getting it simply because you do not want to pay, but it will take time to acquire the right amount of Moonstones for the thing you want to buy.
Moonstones can get you stencils, outfits, home décor items, and more.
You can spend coins in Scrooge’s store, which don’t have anything to do with Moonstones. Scrooge’s store is unlocked very early in the game — in fact, Scrooge is your neighbor!
Will Dreamlight Valley be Pay to Win?
A pay to win model often discourages players. In the case of Dreamlight Valley, some of the players are going to be children who have limited permission to make micro-transactions and purchase other elements. Gameloft has specifically said that you will not be able to pay for the following game events:
- Make your garden grow faster
- Refresh energy or get more energy
- Grow friendship level
With such a large brand, Disney is also playing a long game with their marketing and branding. If they can engage current Disney fans, use the game to remind adults about their favorite Disney memories, and hook kids on the newest Disney releases by providing interactive content in the game, they’ll stay top of mind in the way that they have done for decades.
Pay to win is overall not in the spirit of Disney’s worlds, games, or products, nor something that’d work for its primary and secondary audiences, so Gameloft will have to find another way to engage players.
Dreamlight Valley Will Include Paid Expansions
Dreamlight Valley already includes expansions. It seems like those will remain free (at least for now) for Early Access players. However, this prevents another avenue to monetize the game with existing free to play players once the game goes free. There will not be paywalls to the base content.
When Will Dreamlight Valley Become Free to Play?
Disney Dreamlight Valley will become free to play sometime in 2023. Gameloft has not announced the exact date, even though everyone is excited to find out! The Gameloft announcement about Disney Dreamlight free to play came in July 2022. There are more early access content updates already scheduled in 2023, so it’s likely we will get at least one more update before the game goes free to play.
While this is speculative, it would make sense that Dreamlight Valley becomes free to play in early summer, when school is out for students.
Why be excited about Disney Dreamlight free to play? Disney Dreamlight is a relaxing and fun game for players of all ages. Parents can discuss it with their children, and kids can talk about the game together. The content is safe, the characters are familiar, and if you need a minute away from combat-centric-games where the whole point is to be friends, solve mysteries, and help people, you might really like Dreamlight Valley.
Current Dreamlight Valley Free to Play Options
You’re going to have to wait if you’re looking to play Dreamlight Valley for free on the PC (Steam), PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch, because you still need the Founder’s Pack to access the game there. However, if you have an Xbox Game Pass, Disney Dreamlight Valley is accessible at no extra cost as it’s included in your Xbox Game Pass!
Without giving too much away, the personal quest and plotline in the game center on making choices about self-discovery, identity, and (of course) aesthetics. This allows players to express themselves the way they want in the game. It’s delightful to know that many more gamers will have access to the joy, characters, and choices available in Disney Dreamlight Valley this year.
Published: Jan 11, 2023 10:44 am