Dreamlight Valley has two dates to put on your calendar, and they do not come with the same price tag.
The Keepsake Sea arrives November 18, 2026, as a paid expansion. Lilo arrives December 9 in the free ‘Ohana Holidays update. Gameloft confirmed both dates in its October 21 showcase recap.
So if Lilo is the part you are waiting for, buying the mermaid expansion is not what unlocks her update. Those are separate releases.
What you are buying with The Keepsake Sea
The publisher’s Steam listing describes three island biomes, underwater decorating and a customizable pirate ship. You can turn your character into merfolk, with more than 50 customization options for features including fins, tails and ears.
The five new villagers are Milo Thatch, Captain Jack Sparrow, Megara, Wendy and Captain Hook. Dory joins as an Adventure Companion, rather than one of those five villagers.
That is a different kind of purchase from waiting for the next free character update: it adds a new setting and systems to explore. On Steam, you need the base game to play this add-on.
Which version do you need?
Gameloft says the standard expansion includes 5,000 Moonstones. The Deluxe version includes 10,000, plus extras including Flounder and Sebastian as Adventure Companions.
There is one important exception to the separate-purchase rule: Disney Dreamlight Valley Arcade Edition players get the expansion’s content on launch day without an additional purchase.
The official recap and Steam listing did not list a dollar price when checked. Steam still marked the expansion as unavailable, with a wishlist option. An announcement is not the same thing as being able to play it today.
For buyers, Gameloft also announced an exclusive fin for purchasing the expansion and playing between November 18 and December 2. It did not supply a cutoff hour.
The merfolk idea itself is not a surprise announcement from this showcase. Gameloft introduced that concept in September, alongside Milo, Jack Sparrow and Megara. The useful new detail is the calendar: paid sea adventure in November, free Lilo update in December.
Still working through the current quests? Our Dreamlight Valley guides cover the existing Halloween events and character unlocks.
