Gameloft has made the decision to keep Disney Dreamlight Valley as a paid experience, rather than transitioning to a free-to-play model when it leaves early access on December 5. The studio shared its new plans in a blog post, stating that the game’s global launch will maintain its status as a paid game.

In the blog post, Gameloft explained, “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 that Disney Dreamlight Valley will not become a free-to-play game after leaving early access.

The early access phase of Disney Dreamlight Valley was released in September of last year for multiple platforms including PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and PC via Steam and Mac. Originally, the game was intended to be fully released as a free-to-play game this year.

In order to continue delivering a premium game experience, Gameloft explained that they will keep providing free content updates to add new characters, realms, clothing, furniture, and surprises to the Valley. Optional purchases requiring moonstones will remain fair and of the same quality expected by players. Moonstones can be collected for free via Dream Snaps and Chests or purchased.

For players interested in joining the game during the early access phase, Founder’s Packs will still be available until December 4. After the game leaves early access, players will have the option to choose from three editions, each with their respective Moonstones to spend in-game and exclusive items. The available editions include the base digital edition, the retail exclusive Cozy edition (available now for Switch and launching globally for PlayStation and Xbox on November 10), and the digital-only Gold edition. More details can be found in the official blog post.

In addition, players can also access the Disney Dreamlight Valley: A Rift In Time expansion pass, which will cost an additional $29.99 (around £24.99). The full reveal of the expansion will take place during a special developer livestream on November 1.

To show appreciation to early access players, all unique cosmetic items included in the upcoming Gold Edition will be gifted free of charge to any player who purchases a Founder’s Pack in-game on or before December 4, regardless of the tier. Founders will also receive 2,500 Moonstones as a celebration.