Disney Dreamlight Valley will launch in early access this September

I think of Disney as a company that will protect their image by working on something until it's both good and finished, which is frankly stupid of me given I just finished watching Obi-Wan Kenobi. Still, I found myself surprised when I learned that Disney Dreamlight Valley will be an early access game when it launches on September 6th. Watch the latest trailer for the Disney-themed Animal Crossing 'em up below.

There's clearly some DNA from The Sims in Dreamlight Valley's character creation and decorating, but once you watch the protagonist dig a hammer out of the ground for Wall-E, the Animal Crossing inspirations seem the most prevalent.

Disney Dreamlight Valley is set in a Magic Kingdom turned dark, as an event called The Forgetting has stripped many familiar Disney and Pixar characters of their memories. You must retore the world to its former glory, although much of your time seems to also be spent fishing, townbuilding and selfie-taking. Each of these activities is performed alongside a familiar character from the films, such as cooking with Remy from Ratatouille. Which I absolutely want to do.

Before its full launch as a free-to-play game next year, Disney Dreamlight Valley will release into early access on Steam this September 6th. You'll need to pay for a Founder's Pack to get access, which will grant you "Founder-exclusive items" that will carry over into the finished game. The Steam page is otherwise unclear on which parts of the game will be included in the early access launch, although it sounds like it won't have a complete main story.

Honestly, I'd be up for some chill fishing time with Goofy, but I fear for the free-to-play model given Dreamlight Valley is developed by Gameloft, a company best known for free-to-play mobile games. How much will I have to pay to unlock Wall-E, or to place bunting in my Magic Kingdom? I guess we'll see.