Disney Dreamlight Valley is leaving Early Access with one major change

Disney Dreamlight Valley got some big news this past week with Gameloft finally announcing the plans for the game to leave Early Access.

For Disney fans who may not be familiar with video games, Disney Dreamlight Valley is a life-sim adventure game similar to the likes of Animal Crossing. You visit a town -- in this case, a magical valley known as "Dreamlight Valley" -- that is populated by various Disney and Pixar characters whose memories have been wiped due to a magical curse.

In an effort to restore the valley and help return their memories, players will perform tasks and go on adventures that help rid the land of Night Thorns (which are responsible for "The Forgetting"). Like Animal Crossing, this is a game for all types of people and there's plenty for you to do besides go on adventures.

For the past year or so, Disney Dreamlight Valley has been in an Early Access state. This is essentially an alpha or beta version of the game, allowing you to purchase and play the game before it's fully considered ready for release. While you play, the developer continues to work on new content and release it as it's ready, up until it's considered ready for launch.

Well, that day is almost here. Gameloft announced Disney Dreamlight Valley will leave Early Access starting on December 5th. So what does that mean exactly?

Well, for starters, Disney Dreamlight Valley was supposed to go free-to-play at launch. That will no longer be the case. Instead, it will remain a paid game "for the foreseeable future."

Gameloft explained that the decision to keep Disney Dreamlight Valley ensures it will remain a "premium game service."

"It's important to us that we maintain our promise to keep delivering free content updates that add new characters, realms, clothing, furniture, and more surprises to your Valley," the developer said.

Aside from that, not much else is different. All of the content that has been released during the Early Access phase will be available immediately for anyone who purchases the game.

There will be three versions of the game that will be available to purchase for new players when it fully launches in December: the base game ($39.99), the Cozy Edition ($49.99) which comes with bonus Moonstones, and the Gold Edition ($69.99) which includes Moonstones, exclusive cosmetic items and access to the A Rift In Time expansion.

All Early Access players will receive the cosmetic items included in the Gold Edition for free along with 2,500 Moonstones. They can also purchase the A Rift in Time expansion separately for $29.99.

We don't yet know what's coming in the expansion, but Gameloft will be hosting a livestream showcase on November 1st at 1:00 p.m. ET that will dive into more details.