Disney Dreamlight Valley devs invite you to “live your best mermaid life” alongside Jack Sparrow in new expansion

Gameloft has finally announced DDV’s newest DLC, and we’re beyond hyped. First revealed during this year’s D23 event, Disney Dreamlight Valley’s The Keepsake Sea is the next major expansion since 2025’s whimsical Wishblossom Ranch, with the recent Honeyglow Woods Adventure Pack acting as a much smaller (but still wonderful) bridge between the two.

Your new adventure begins with you finding a mysterious statue in the water with a message informing you that an old friend is lost and stranded. To help them, you’ll have to venture beyond the coast of Dreamlight Valley, transforming into a mermaid to explore the depths below and discover treasures of a long-forgotten past.

You read that right – this new expansion allows you to live out your wildest underwater dreams as you shapeshift into a magical merfolk. With this ability, you can freely swim both above and below water, while also making use of special perks such as gathering underwater crafting materials or catching fish directly from fishing spots without having to whip out your rod.

Naturally, your new mermaid form is also fully customizable, and we’re not just talking about the vast array of new oceanic outfits and deep sea styles. During our time at Gamescom 2026, we were lucky enough to sit down for a chat with Lead Narrative Designer Riley Wignall, who told us, “not only will you be able to customize your tail, but you also have lots of different fins, torsos, ear cosmetics, [and] arm cosmetics. We really want players to be able to play around and express themselves as much as possible to live their best mermaid life.”

But don’t worry if fantastical fins aren’t really your vibe, as it’s not just merfolk who spend all their time at sea. As Riley highlights, “if people aren’t drawn in by the mermaid fantasy, maybe they want to be a pirate with their pirate fantasy, and there’s just no better pirate to do that than Jack Sparrow”.

Jack Sparrow may be a bit of a surprise if you’re familiar with Disney Dreamlight Valley, as he happens to be the first live-action character to arrive in the Valley. However, Riley states that “whether or not the character is live-action wasn’t really an issue for us”. When choosing which characters get added to the game, she explains, “we do a lot of listening to our community and trying to listen to who speaks to them and who they’ll be interested in seeing.” In the case of Jack Sparrow, it seems the decision was mostly based on balancing all of the mermaid magic and “giving our players options.”

Of course, it’s not just Jack Sparrow arriving alongside this expansion, either. As shown in the full announcement trailer below, you can also expect to meet the self-sufficient ‘damsel in distress’ herself, Hercules’ Megara. After the recent Heroes’ Path Disney Dreamlight Valley update, we expected her arrival, but we’re still super happy to finally see her in-game. However, the other fresh face is much more unexpected.

Yes, we were just as (pleasantly) surprised as you when we saw Milo from Atlantis pop up. But, as Riley points out, there’s water and treasure to be found, which makes him “a natural fit”. She goes on to say, “there’s a lot of thought put into who we put in and why, and it’s based on what the community wants, what we think fits with the story, and who we think could make the best version of this expansion.” No complaints here, it’s great to see Atlantis finally get some recognition!

Like the previous expansions, The Keepsake Sea introduces a brand new map made up of three island biomes and new underwater worlds. Just like above-water areas, these deep-sea settings are fully customizable, allowing for tons of decorating options. On top of this, you can also dock your ship at the piers of Shipwreck Shores. This intriguing pirate bay is hiding plenty of its own secrets, too, including a mysterious fortress area for you to uncover.

While we don’t know too much about the narrative here, we’re super eager to find out more. After all, the stories at the heart of Disney Dreamlight Valley have always been very special, handling a variety of very real and relatable themes in such a magical way. Of course, The Forgotten’s arc is a prime example of this, and one that resonated with many players from all walks of life.

During our chat with Riley, we couldn’t help but bring up this emotional tale. On the topic, she told us that “the community response to that storyline was actually incredible, and I think it’s because, although it is dark and it can be a bit heavier, it resonates with a very human experience”. She explained that the very heart of Disney Dreamlight Valley is all about “getting back in touch with the things that you loved in childhood. […] Getting to those parts that were forgotten or neglected, and letting yourself love them again – letting yourself celebrate all those things that you can still have as an adult, and welcom[ing] that magic back into people.”

She went on to say that “part of the big story of The Keepsake Sea is about rediscovering the sense of adventure that we [sometimes] lose as a child”. Honestly, we can’t argue with that – who didn’t dream of becoming a mermaid or sailing the seven seas with a band of pirates as a kid? In fact, many of us still do.

While we don’t have a Disney Dreamlight Valley: The Keepsake Sea release date just yet, Gameloft has confirmed that it will be holding a showcase stream on October 21, 2026, during which we’ll get a “deeper look at the characters, biomes, features, and adventures coming to The Keepsake Sea”, so be sure to keep an eye on the official Disney Dreamlight Valley YouTube channel when that drops.