Disney Dreamlight Valley hits Switch early access on September 6

Disney Dreamlight Valley will hit the Nintendo Switch in early access on September 6. Nintendo made the announcement today in its Partner Direct show.

Gameloft unveiled Disney Dreamlight Valley earlier as a new life simulation adventure game for the PC, Mac and consoles. The free-to-play title is a major collaboration between Disney and Gameloft, and it marks Gameloft’s entry into the PC and console space. It’s going to be a huge title with 40 to 60 hours of gameplay in the main story.

In the game, fans will be invited to create their personalized avatar and embark on a journey alongside some of Disney and Pixar’s most beloved characters.

Players can be the first to experience Disney Dreamlight Valley this summer as part of early access with the purchase of a Founders Pack or by being an Xbox Game Pass member ahead of the title’s launch in 2023. The game is set in the dream world of Dreamlight Valley, where players will embark on a quest to restore a once-idyllic village now desolate and full of Night Thorns after a mysterious event called The Forgetting. I was very impressed with the look of the 3D graphics across various lands.

Players have to uncover the mysterious secrets that led them to this new world and explore diverse realms inspired by classic Disney and Pixar worlds, while helping the iconic inhabitants of the town recover their lost memories. In this experience, players will encounter characters from Mickey & Friends to Disney’s The Lion King, The Little Mermaid and Moana to Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story and more.

I got an extended preview of the game from Manea Castet, game manager and Claire Llewellyn, senior product marketing manager. The game will have a number of unique individualized story arcs and enjoy activities with some of the village’s most memorable characters, such as whipping up a delectable Disney-themed dishes alongside Remy from Disney and Pixar’s Ratatouille inside of a village restaurant, fishing at the fishing hole with Goofy, or growing vegetables from Wall-E’s garden patch. Players will be able to design the Disney and Pixar villages of their dreams across multiple unique biomes, ranging from the snowy mountains of the Frosted Heights to the Peaceful Meadow and beyond — with customization options for their avatars, homes, and villages.

The game will feature an evolving list of Disney princess-inspired ballgowns, Mickey-adorned streetwear, Frozen-inspired antique kitchen designs and more. The early access version will be released across all supported platforms including PC, Mac, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and Xbox One consoles. PC and Mac versions will be released on Steam, Epic Games Store, Microsoft Store, and the Mac App Store.