✨ The Season of Scares is the next free content update coming to Dreamlight Valley, and it arrives next week on September 23! The update introduces Oogie Boogie, who you'll be able to unlock after completing a special 6-week Halloween event. There's also a new chilling Star Path, two returning Halloween seasonal events, a range of new Premium Shop items, and plenty of quality-of-life improvements.
Throughout the week, Gameloft released three Developer Update videos, and in today's journal entry, I'll cover some of the details shared in those videos, what to expect next week, and some of my thoughts on the update! The Season of Scares has to be one of the most anticipated updates for me, especially since it arrives alongside one of my favourite celebrations: Halloween!
The first Developer Update trailer gave us our first look at the update, showing the new trickster in action and transforming Scrooge's Store into the setting for a series of weekly spooky challenges. These challenges will take place over 6 weeks, with themed rewards to unlock as each challenge is completed. During the event, we'll also be able to unlock the Zero Companion as we progress through the challenges.
Now, my understanding of this 6-week Halloween event is that Oogie Boogie will not be available to add to the Valley until after the challenges have been completed. Once that's done, you'll officially be able to add him to your character collection and begin his friendship questline.
As with all villagers in Dreamlight Valley, Oogie Boogie comes with his own set of friendship rewards, and he will also have his own unique villager home. However, there's something a little different about Oogie Boogie, with Gameloft confirming that after November 4, Oogie Boogie will be leaving the Valley! To keep him in your Valley, you'll need to have started his questline before then. He will return to the game around Halloween next year, giving anyone who misses out this time another chance to unlock him. So, if you want Oogie Boogie permanently in your Valley, make sure you get started before November 4!
We were also given a glimpse at the new Star Path, Haunting Elegance, which comes with a set of furniture and clothing items we've come to expect from a Star Path. There's even a new Dream Style for Scrooge and a new player house skin, both of which fit perfectly with the Halloween season. I can't wait to see what else is included in this one!
We also got a look at some of the new items coming to the Premium Shop rotation, and everything shown so far looks amazing! First up was the Evil & Good Witch Bundle, featuring clothing and furniture pieces, along with a matching Bee Companion. Next was the Little Red Riding Hood costume, inspired by the Once Upon a Time series, and the Big Bad Wolf K9 Companion. Stitch is also getting his own vampire costume Dream Style, perfect for the spooky season, while a gothic-themed bridge kit and garden are also on the way!
Lastly, a new companion bundle has been confirmed - and it's Lucifer himself! From Cinderella, of course. The bundle will include several rewards, and Lucifer will have a special ability that involves chasing critters around the Valley. I'm curious to see exactly how that will work and what's involved. I'll probably be picking this one up, and I can't wait to see how my character poses with him!
Two returning events have also been confirmed. First is the Haunted Floating Festival, returning on October 7. It looks like you'll be able to complete any puzzles from this event that you may have missed last year, with the developer video showing rewards from last year's event alongside some brand-new rewards.
The second is the returning Trick or Treat event on October 14, where you'll be able to collect a variety of candy and unlock some themed rewards. There also appears to be a new way to collect candy in the Valley this year: by trick-or-treating at houses that feature a jack-o'-lantern outside.
I'm so happy the Haunted Floating Festival is returning, especially with new Halloween-themed rewards to unlock - although I'm just as excited to see what both events have in store! The Trick or Treat Event will also bring new Halloween Town exterior decorations to unlock. Both of these events will fittingly run until October 31.
As with all updates, the Season of Scares will also come with a variety of new features and quality-of-life improvements. And honestly, I'm just as excited about some of these changes as I am about the new content itself! Here's a look at what was shared in the recent Developer Updates and what to expect next week.
The first feature shared was a new Event Board coming to the game, which becomes available through a quest from Merlin after unlocking your first realm in the Dream Castle. The board is designed to help you keep track of what's going on in the Valley, while also introducing a new permanent path where you can complete quests around the Valley at your own pace and unlock "astronomy-based rewards."
I'm curious to see exactly how the Event Board works. From what I saw in the video, it appears to provide access to the current Event tab from your in-game menu, but I wonder if it will look different once the update arrives next week - and how the astronomy-based rewards will be incorporated into this new permanent event path.
There are also some furniture quality-of-life improvements coming, including the ability to share your presets with other players through code sharing! The current preset feature will include a new option to generate a special code for others to use, which will then add your preset design to their collection.
Biome decorating is also getting a massive change, with a hassle-free way to clear your biome. You'll be able to mass-remove items from each biome to help clear everything much faster when redecorating, with the feature allowing you to clear Furniture, Paths, Landscaping and Fences. Each of these four categories can be cleared individually, and there's also an option to undo the changes before saving if you change your mind. This is going to make clearing out an area for a completely new build so much easier!
Biome decorating is also getting a massive change, with a hassle-free way to clear your biome. You'll be able to mass-remove items from each biome to help clear everything much faster when redecorating, with the feature allowing you to clear Furniture, Paths, Landscaping and Fences. Each of these four categories can be cleared individually, and there's also an option to undo the changes before saving if you change your mind. This is going to make clearing out an area for a completely new build so much easier!
We'll also finally be able to move some functional buildings, such as Daisy's Boutique and Tiana's Palace, as well as character stalls like Mulan's Tea Stall and Beast's Greenhouse, over onto our Floating Islands. I am so happy about this change! I've been wanting to add some of these buildings and stalls to themed builds on my islands, and I'm also thrilled with the idea of clearing up some space in the Valley by moving some of the much larger buildings. Scrooge and Olaf... I'm looking at you both! Here's hoping both Scrooge's Store and Olaf's Exhibition can be migrated north! 😂
Lastly, the final two rooms are coming to Olaf's Exhibition - the Forgotten Lands and the Plaza - bringing the Valley exhibition rooms to a close! On top of the usual exhibition room completion rewards, you'll also receive 2 additional furniture items and a new fox companion once all 8 exhibition rooms have been completed. Even though we've only received 2 rooms per update, I'm glad that's how Gameloft has approached the exhibition, as it has kept me busy enough while also making sure there's always been something new to look forward to.
One thing I found particularly interesting about this part was the wording that "...this marks the finale of Olaf's Grand Exhibition base Valley biome rooms..." Now, I don't know if I'm reading too much into that, but to me, that sounds like there could be more exhibition rooms coming in future updates for the DLC biomes! Purely speculation, of course - or maybe it's just my inner soul REALLY hoping that's what's going to happen 👀 Either way, I'll definitely be keeping an eye on this one!
There's less than a week to go before the next Dreamlight Valley update, and I expect we'll get even more details in the official Patch Notes next week, just before the update drops. I cannot wait for Oogie Boogie! I'm just excited for this update in general, and everything Halloween-themed that has come along with it. Which part of the Season of Scares has you most intrigued?
Thanks for joining me in today's Cozy Valley Journal entry! Be sure to check back soon for new cozy art, patch note info, and general update news as the new update floats into the Valley next week. You can also find all my socials linked on the side if you prefer to follow along through one of those channels.