Dear Islanders,
Seed Sparkle Lab here, checking in. It's been over a hundred days since we first set sail with Early Access on February 12, all the way through to the full 1.0 launch. Along the way, you've shared countless ideas and insights with us, and we've made sure to log every piece of feedback. Truly, it's your input that has pushed this island forward and made it a better place.
We don't see 1.0 as the finish line—it's more like a progress report. With that in mind, we'd like to walk you through the major additions and improvements we've made from Early Access all the way to this 1.0 release.
Affection Storylines & Dating Features
The 1.0 update brings a host of new ways to connect with the island's characters:
New Affection Cutscenes: 15 NPCs now have brand-new 3-heart affection animations, adding more depth to their narratives and making every interaction feel more personal.
New Affection Quests: Each of the 15 NPCs now has both 3-heart and 5-heart affection story quests. When you reach the right bond level, look out for mail from them in your inbox, or head to designated spots around the island to trigger their personal quests.
New Dating Feature: Invite romanceable NPCs out on dates around the island and enjoy relaxing moments together.
New Doorbell Feature: We've added a doorbell outside the bedrooms of select NPCs—ring it to call them out for a chat or to turn in your commissions.
New Affection Discount Feature: Hit specific affection thresholds with NPCs to enjoy reduced rates on select merchandise at their affiliated shops.
Added islander registration stories for Garrick, Nia, Fang, and Alex, giving each crossover character a richer and more meaningful debut on the island.
New Festival: Autumn Pumpkin Carnival
The 1.0 release brings a brand-new seasonal event—the Autumn Pumpkin Carnival, which runs from the 22nd to the 28th of each in-game autumn. To make the festival more immersive and enjoyable, we've prepared the following additions:
New Carnival Exclusive Shop: Exchange the Halloween candies you collect during the event for limited-time festive rewards at a dedicated store.
Added new themed outfit sets, along with 9 new makeup options and 5 new emotes.
Added 32 exclusive holiday furniture items and 5 holiday recipes.
Added Super Sweet Feed—after eating it, animals will grow demon wings and produce candy.
Added holiday crop Jack-o'-Lantern. It can be harvested and exchanged for candy, and has a chance to grow into a Giant Jack-o'-Lantern.
Added colorful Ghost Jellyfish. Fishing enthusiasts should watch the seas closely for these colorful new catches.
Multiplayer Mode, Now Officially Live!
Multiplayer is now fully implemented, supporting up to 4 players on the same island at once.
Hosts can choose from three join settings: Anyone can join, Request to join, or Use Island Code (NS2 users must use code to invite friends).
In multiplayer, you can farm, fish, and adventure with friends, care for animals, build a home together, progress through your own profession quests, and accept or deliver commission quests.
If you've got resources to spare, you can share them with your co-op buddies to help them finish up their tasks. The co-op menu allows you to fine-tune which resources are accessible to guests, along with permissions for farming, ranching, fishing, and crafting.
Added a Multiplayer Shop. You can earn Multiplayer Coins in multiplayer (also obtainable when alone in multiplayer). They can be used to exchange for special furniture blueprints, advanced animal sheds, special rods, seeds, animal mystery boxes, and other items.
Some quests require the guest player to return to their own island to complete; Island Life progress is not shared.
Cross-platform multiplayer is currently not supported, but we're actively looking into it.
Stability and overall multiplayer experience are still being refined. We're actively working through known issues one by one, and we'll keep you updated on our progress. If you run into any problems while playing online, please don't hesitate to reach out—your reports help us identify and fix issues faster.
MOD Manager and Workshop
Added the "MOD Manager" feature—supports modifying or adding content such as outfits and buildings, and removes code obfuscation from the game program to facilitate MOD development. Steam Workshop is integrated, currently supporting modifications to languages, outfits, buildings, and more.
Home DIY & Building: New Additions Keep Coming
The layout system and home DIY will continue to expand during the 1.0 cycle:
Added 14 School Days themed furniture items
Added 14 Fiery Gym themed furniture items
Added 6 Lively Picnic themed furniture pieces
Furniture sets from the three themes above can all be purchased in the Furniture tab of the weekly Starsand Shop.
Multiple popular community-voted layouts from the Layout Contest (including Gold Award and Theme Award winners) have been officially added to the Layouts library. Silver Award, Bronze Award, and other winning entries are still being optimized and will be released in future updates.
The above Layouts are currently only available on PC and are not supported on console platforms (PS5 / Xbox Series X|S / Nintendo Switch 2).
Outfits and Customization
Throughout the 1.0 cycle, character customization has continued to evolve toward greater freedom and personal expression. Alongside a variety of new themed outfits, we've also opened up a platform for Islanders to design their own looks.
Added Monkey King Set
Added Fighting Training Set
Added Dunhuang Set
Added Pumpkin Carnival Set
Added Island Courier Outfit—When wearing this hat, driving a vehicle will no longer automatically equip the default helmet.
Added Surfing Suit Outfit—This preset swimsuit will automatically switch on during interactions like soaking in hot springs.
All the outfits above can be purchased at the Starsand Shop.
Outfit Design Contest: Featuring both Character and Pet tracks, it officially began on August 19th. Winning entries have a chance to be implemented in the game.
Landing on Major Consoles
The full version brings Starsand Island to all three major console platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2, all launching in sync with PC.
NS2 Mouse Mode Adaptation: The Nintendo Switch 2 version is optimized for the second-generation Joy-Con's Mouse Mode.
Console Update Cadence: Console updates may roll out slightly slower than on PC, as they're subject to each platform's certification process. Rest assured, we'll push every update live as soon as it clears review. The console versions are still in their early stages, and there's room for polish in certain areas. We'll continue refining the experience, and as always, feel free to reach out with any issues you encounter.
Other Additions and Optimizations
New Items
Added Golden Cudgel exclusive action. Can be used as an independent tool type for chopping trees, mining, cutting grass, and harvesting crops. It will not damage farmland when used.
Added Snail Repeller. Can be used to prevent river snails in paddy fields.
Added Weed Barrier. Can be used to inhibit weed growth.
New Vehicles
New vehicle: Cloud Surfer
New vehicle: PawDelivery
Other
Added a Starsand Shop entrance in the Shop for easier access.
Looking Ahead
The 1.0 launch is just the beginning. Next up, we will continue to focus on: ongoing optimization of multiplayer experience and stability; performance and visual tuning on console platforms; fixing known issues and polishing the overall experience; and rolling out more content updates and additions. We'll share specific timelines and details as soon as they're ready.
A Word from the Dev Team
The road from Early Access to 1.0 wouldn't have been the same without you. Thank you for sticking with us, for your patience, and for being part of this island's story every step of the way.
Updates, fixes, and optimizations will continue. If you encounter any issues or have suggestions, feel free to reach out via the community, chat groups, or customer service mailbox. We read every single piece of feedback you send our way.
From all of us here, thank you, Islanders!
With love,
Seed Sparkle Lab