Disney Dreamlight Valley is heading underwater. The Keepsake Sea is the game’s fourth paid expansion, and after a teaser at D23 and a follow-up trailer, the shape of it is clear enough to plan around. It adds a pirate port, an underwater coral region, a mermaid transformation for your avatar, and three new villagers.
Quick answer: The Keepsake Sea arrives in November 2026 as paid DLC that requires the full game, and a dedicated Showcase stream on October 21 will detail it before launch.
The Keepsake Sea release window, price, and platforms
Gameloft first named the expansion during its D23 panel in Anaheim on August 14, 2026, where a short teaser ended on Jack Sparrow’s shadow stretched across the sand. The later trailers pinned the window down to November 2026. Pricing has not been announced.
One thing worth checking before you get excited about the marketing footage. The gameplay shown in the trailers was captured on the Nintendo Switch 2 version, so it represents the best-looking build rather than a universal one.
| Detail | Confirmed |
|---|---|
| Type | Fourth paid expansion (Expansion Pass) |
| Release window | November 2026 |
| Deep-dive stream | Showcase on October 21 |
| Requirement | Full version of the game, sold separately |
| Consoles | Switch, Switch 2, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S |
| PC and mobile | Steam, Windows, Mac App Store, Apple Arcade |
Confirmed villagers: Jack Sparrow, Milo Thatch, and Megara
Three new characters are locked in. Captain Jack Sparrow anchors the Pirates of the Caribbean side of the expansion, Milo Thatch brings the Atlantis angle, and Megara rounds out the trio after Hercules already settled into the Valley.
Milo does more than stand around. His submarine appears in the trailers ferrying villagers, and he gets his own submarine-styled house on the docks, surrounded by anchor-themed furniture.
Mermaid transformation and how you move underwater
The headline mechanic is swimming. Your avatar becomes a mermaid through Ursula’s magic, which is what unlocks free movement through the underwater biome rather than treating water as a boundary.
The transformation is customizable. Multiple tail designs and matching tops appear across the footage, so this behaves like a wardrobe option rather than a single fixed look.
Villagers who cannot swim are not left on the shore. Characters like Hercules travel below the surface inside small submarine pods, which keeps the usual friendship and hangout loop intact in a region your avatar is the only one built to swim in.
Underwater decorating and the mermaid statue
Decorating works below the waterline. Paths, plants, and furniture can all be placed underwater, and Ariel shows up in the footage as part of that seabed setup.
Items are not strictly separated by biome either. A Prince Eric statue built for land appears placed underwater, which points to a shared inventory instead of two locked decorating sets.
A large mermaid statue acts as the quest hub for the region. It is used to unlock memories with villagers, the same collectible-and-story structure earlier expansions leaned on.
New biomes, toucan critters, and crops
The expansion splits into two main areas. Above water there is a pirate port with docks, shipwrecks, and a fort entrance characters walk into. Below it sits the coral region tied to the mermaid mechanic.
The pirate side also brings its own cosmetics and props, including a bandana, new foliage, buildings, and a mining node themed to the port. A full pirate outfit for the avatar shows up too, complete with a feathered hat and corset vest.
Toucans join as the new companion critter, with four color variants. On the farming side, expect heart-shaped crops and a new fruit tree, plus fresh clothing, furniture, and resources across both biomes.
What the October 21 Showcase still has to answer
Gameloft has scheduled a Showcase on October 21 as the full deep dive into the expansion. That is where pricing, an exact release date, and the remaining roster are most likely to land.
Three villagers is a lean count by the standards of previous expansions, and Wishblossom Ranch shipped with four. Names like Captain Hook and Raya circulate as fan predictions, but neither has been confirmed by Gameloft, so treat them as guesses until the stream.
The trailer’s closing line about the ocean keeping its secrets and its “guardians” also hints at a story hook that has not been explained yet.
Until then, the Valley’s free calendar keeps moving. Oogie Boogie headlines a multi-week Halloween event with weekly quests and themed rewards, and Lilo arrives with the December holiday update for her reunion with Stitch. The Keepsake Sea slots in between them as the paid centerpiece of the year.
