One of the best aspects ofDisney Dreamlight Valleyare its villagers. With recognizable characters from Walt Disney Animation and Pixar Studios for players to form friendships with,Disney Dreamlight Valley’s villagers are at an interesting advantage when it comes to forming bonds and relationships. But the hit simulation game’s consistent addition of these familiar faces may be its very undoing.
Not only isDisney Dreamlight Valley’s current character roster incredible, but the rate at which new villagers are being added to the game is impressive. However, if Gameloft continues toadd unique characters toDisney Dreamlight Valleyat its current rate,Disney Dreamlight Valleycould face a key issue thatPokemon GOhas to overcome.
Disney Dreamlight Valley’s Character Additions are Adding Up
In November 2024,Disney Dreamlight Valleyrevealed a road map for its base game 2025 plans. Based on the characters teased, it seems that at least four new characters will be added toDisney Dreamlight Valley’s base game through Summer 2025. Add in the two promised characters in the second half of the Storybook Vale Expansion Pass, Maleficent and another unrevealed villager, and that total is bumped up to six.Disney Dreamlight Valleyhas a rate of thirteen character additions annually. With a roster of forty-seven different villagers, the already impressive number expands every year.
But these numbers grow concerning if one weighsDisney Dreamlight Valley’s current character roster against films and franchises that have yet to have character additions in the game. Historically,Disney Dreamlight Valleyhas only added characters from Walt Disney Animation and Pixar Studios. But if Gameloft continues to add characters at this rate,Disney Dreamlight Valleymay have to turn to other properties under the Disney umbrella. For example,there are thirteen unique Pixar films and franchisesthatDisney Dreamlight Valleyhas not pulled characters from. If Gameloft and Disney wanted to focus on adding as many properties to the game through characters as possible, the remaining Pixar films could be knocked out in one year.
While this hypothetical is unlikely, it shows the dwindling amount of unused contentDisney Dreamlight Valleyhas to pull from.Pokemon GOfaced a similar issueas it expanded the number ofPokemonplayers could catch. After adding almost every single Pokemon to the hit mobile game, Niantic now has to ration the number of remaining Pokemon in order to extend player interest and the game’s live-service life. IfDisney Dreamlight Valleywants to avoid this issue, Gameloft has to create a game plan for future villager additions. Fortunately, there are a few simple solutions that Disney and Gameloft could turn to.
How Disney Dreamlight Valley Could Avoid this problem
The first, and most likely, option forDisney Dreamlight Valleyis to simply focus on adding more characters from properties introduced to the game. This option is the most likely because it isDisney Dreamlight Valley’s current strategy,with characters like Timon and Pumbaashowing up several updates after Simba, the protagonist of their shared filmThe Lion King. By focusing on properties already in the Valley, Gameloft does not need to worry about fan reception of certain villagers or the pool of unused properties going down.
However, when all major motion pictures from Walt Disney Animation and Pixar Studios are used,Disney Dreamlight Valleycould easily turn to spinoffs from both companies. For example,Scrooge McDuck is already part ofDisney Dreamlight Valley. While Scrooge McDuck has had film appearances, he has not been a part of an official Walt Disney Animations picture and is arguably more known for his role in the hit showDucktales. With Scrooge setting a precedent as technically a television character,Disney Dreamlight Valleycould pull in other characters from classic animated Disney shows likeDucktales,Darkwing Duck,Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers, and many more.
Disney Dreamlight Valley’s character pool may seem vast, but it is beginning to dwindle. To avoid the same fate asPokemon GO,Disney Dreamlight Valleyshould plan its character additions carefully.
