Greetings, Adventurers! It’s time for an update—one that brings a big party straight to you.

Grab a friend and join the festivities as we celebrate Sky’s 5th anniversary during SkyFest! A musical season also makes its debut, and a brand new event invites you to try a new series of minigames

SkyFest: A 5th Birthday Like No Other!

It’s time to celebrate Sky’s birthday. This year, Sky turns 5! And in case you hadn’t heard, we are throwing an extra special party. This is a BIG event, but we’ve packed the most important info into the patch notes!

We’re calling Sky’s 5th Anniversary SkyFest, and for two weeks from 17:00 July 12th through 23:59 July 26th (all times PDT, UTC -7) it combines in-game and in-person events for everyone to be part of.

It all begins at 17:00 on July 12th. Yes, 17:00, not the daily reset time. This is so the in-game celebration starts at the exact same time that the in-person SkyFest celebration starts in Tokyo, Japan! For two days, the in-person event will have talks and presentations about all things Sky—and part of this can be experienced in-game!

Once the event begins, meditate at circles in Aviary Village near the Friendship Constellation statue or the gates to the levels. That will take you to a special version of Aviary Village which will be the center of the SkyFest party, with parades and decorations and a whole lot more.

Instead of the regular gates to levels in the game, three familiar portals will take you to these locations made just for SkyFest:

• History of Sky Gallery (Isle of Dawn)
• Art of Sky Gallery (Hidden Forest)
• SkyFest Cinema (Eye of Eden)

These areas will have something unique to share throughout the event, but from July 12th through 14th, you can find actual in-game livestreams of talks and more from the in-person Sky-Fest!

July 12

• 19:00 - Guided Tour of Sky’s History with the devs (History Gallery)
  • Join us on a live tour through the History Gallery as we share stories and more about how Sky became what it is today!
• 20:00 - SkyFest 2024 Keynote with Jenova Chen (SkyFest Cinema)
  • Let’s just say, you don’t want to miss this one…
• 23:00 - How We Got 10,000 Players into a Level (SkyFest Cinema)
  • Here’s a peek at how our engineering team created the tech that helped us set a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title!

July 13

• 18:00 - Design at Record-Breaking Scale in Sky: Children of the Light (SkyFest Cinema)
  • It’s okay, you can cry! Learn how the team designed the AURORA Concert to make it a memorable and moving experience.
• 19:00 - Guided Tour of Sky’s Art with the devs (Art Gallery)
  • Take a tour through the Art Gallery as we talk about some of the art that played a key role in Sky’s development.
• 22:00 - An Exploration of the Art of Sky (SkyFest Cinema)
  • How did Sky first come to life in its earliest days? See how art played a key role in the ideas that ultimately evolved into Sky’s world and lore.

July 14

• 00:00 - Designing to Reduce Toxicity in Online Games (SkyFest Cinema)
  • How do you make a game that welcomes everybody, with a world that allows compassion and generosity to blossom?
• 01:00 - SkyFest LIVE Community Concert (SkyFest Cinema)
  • Sky’s first-ever live in-game concert! Player musicians from around the world will give a memorable performance featuring classic favorites, original compositions, and of course, some of the community’s favorite Sky songs.
  • This is a one-time-only concert that won’t replay after July 14th, so be sure to join us at the SkyFest Cinema to see it!

And there’s plenty more to see!

Every hour there will be other videos, screenings, and more. And if you miss the livestreams or videos during the opening weekend of SkyFest, don’t worry—the SkyFest Cinema is the place to catch them again when they replay during the rest of the event!

In between the visits to the galleries and stage, Aviary Village is absolutely party central. Catch an even showier Aviary fireworks show, join in parades celebrating five years of Sky, and more—you never know what you might find if you search around the village…

Once you’ve explored the SkyFest areas, stop by the Secret Area accessible from the Vault of Knowledge. During SkyFest, you can take a shortcut there by meditating at the Events Shop in Aviary Village. The gates are open to all, so you can join the dance party and watch Spirits take the rooftop stage.

And just for the 5th anniversary, the Secret Area will have a display of three capes from past collaborations—the display will allow you to teleport to the special areas that came with each collab, no cape use necessary!

Don’t forget about event currency while you’re partying! Four star-shaped tokens can be found around the village each day. Use them to unlock some of this year’s new anniversary items, including some souvenirs arriving just for Sky’s 5th birthday

New Items

• SkyFest 5th Anniversary Headband: 3 event currency
• SkyFest Jenova Fan: 7 event currency
• SkyFest 5th Anniversary T-shirt: 10 event currency
• SkyFest Star Jar: 15 event currency
• SkyFest Oreo Headband: $4.99 (all prices USD)
• SkyFest Wireframe Cape: $19.99
  • This cape comes with a special ability: After SkyFest ends, it can be used to access the SkyFest version of Aviary, including the History and Art Galleries plus the SkyFest Cinema. Videos from the SkyFest Cinema will replay after SkyFest on a schedule. (Please note that this cape provides access to the SkyFest event spaces ONLY.)

As you may know from past events, numbered items for specific birthday years are only available for their given year. After all, you can’t turn five twice! This means that the headband, T-shirt, and wireframe cape are scheduled to be available only this year. So be sure to unlock them if you’re interested—just like a 5th birthday, they’ll come just this once!

Returning Items

• Anniversary Party Lights: 33 Hearts
• Anniversary Sonorous Seashell: 33 Ascended Candles
• Light Fence, Birthday Flag props: 20 Candles each
• Balloon prop: 30 Candles
• Happy Birthday Music Sheet: 10 Hearts
• Confetti Launcher: 20 Hearts
• Anniversary Plush: $9.99

Not to mention, there will be all kinds of spells—cakes of different sizes, plus a confetti collar accessory and free balloon hats!

Anniversary items can be purchased or unlocked with in-game currency from friendly Spirits in the Secret Area, the Event Guide, or through the in-game shop.

Season of Duets

This patch brings the Season of Duets, where you can enter the story of two Spirits who were once connected through their music. Start at Aviary Village, where you’ll find a passageway that takes you into the Season and a new area within the village. In this area you, too, may discover ways that music brings meaningful moments to life!

Complete the first Seasonal Quest to open the concert hall which also holds a room with colorful outfits, instruments, accessories, musical decor, and more that capture your favorite parts of the story.

As the Season progresses, you’ll meet a second Spirit, and receive a special version of the double bow expression that you can use with a friend. As the quests unfold, the Season invites you to learn a song that holds a special meaning and experience more of Sky’s music feature—it is Season of Duets, after all!

The Duets Guide also brings several items in their Friendship Tree: Season Pass holders have the chance to unlock three Ultimate Gifts, and a mask can be unlocked for regular Candles even after the Season ends.

Season of Duets begins at 00:00 July 15th and continues until 23:59 September 29th (all times PDT, UTC -7).

Tournament of Triumph

A brand new event opens in the realms for the first time! From 00:00 July 29th through 23:59 August 18th,  join a rotating series of games that will have you running, leaping, soaring, even scampering through some of the best-known places in Sky!

Enter the tournament by teleporting from Aviary or Home to a special version of the Coliseum. Each day until the day of the closing ceremony (August 18th) you can take part in two different games where you can enjoy some lighthearted and friendly competition with fellow Sky kids. Speed is helpful as you race along, but you may find sometimes it’s not the only thing you’ll need.

Like other events, Tournament of Triumph will offer event currency that you can exchange for IGC (in-game currency) items. We’re trying something new, so these will be available in a unique, flexible format!

• 2 event currency in the event area daily
• Event currency pool 1: 25 in the first ten days of the event
• Event currency pool 2: 25 in the second ten days of the event
• 5 event currency in the event area on the last day (Aug. 18)

Players can earn one event currency each time they complete a Tournament game, including after repeating a game, up to the total number of event currency available in each “pool.” Then, 25 more become available when the second half of the Tournament begins.

Event Items

• Tournament Curls: 25 event currency
• Tournament Torch: 37 event currency
• Tournament Golden Garland: $4.99
• Tournament Tunic: $9.99

These can be unlocked by speaking with the Event Guide Spirit or purchased from the shop in the main menu. Free trial spells are also available in the event area, Event Shop in Aviary Village, or Home.

New Feature: Comments for Player Creations

Many of us like to send gestures of encouragement when we watch Shared Memories, visit Shared Spaces, or read Message Boats—”liking” what someone made, perhaps even sending a Heart for something that we really enjoyed. Sometimes, though, you want to let the other player know exactly how they affected you.

So in 0.26.0 we’re adding an option to write comments on Player Creations! This way, even if you can’t chat with the person who created something you enjoyed, you can still leave a little note for them.

To leave a comment on a Creation you like, tap on the speech bubble in the Creation menu. Each person can leave one comment.

It’s important to us that comments are a way for players to connect more meaningfully with each other. So we’ve designed them accordingly:

• When you view comments, you’ll see comments from friends and people who have opted to see more of your Creations first, and then after that, popular comments from the larger Sky Community.
• Don’t worry if you don’t speak the same language, comments can be translated just like chat!
• See a comment that’s inappropriate? Please hide or report it so that we can keep Sky a safer and more inviting place.
• If you prefer that your own Creation remain without comments, you can always disable them by using the “...” menu after placing the Creation.

Note: Comments can be “liked,” but these do not result in Hearts for the commenter, and Hearts may not be given to comments.

Improvements and Bug Fixes in this update include:

Highlights

• Fixed carry and handhold links breaking when transitioning from Wind Paths to Hermit Valley.
• Fixed coloring for the Abyss ultimate cape.
• Updated a few more backpack meshes with new designs.
• Updated and optimized the Spirit NPC models for Jolly Geologist, Bumbling Boatswain, Stretching Lamplighter, Lively Navigator, Dancing Performer, Marching Adventurer, and Baffled Botanist. The new models improve clipping issues, avoid awkward cape placement caused by the shoulder piece, and give these weary souls a bit of TLC…and a more comfortable neck, to be honest.

Want more details about some other fixes in this patch? Read the full list below!

Gameplay

• The game is a bit more lenient when counting what "good" and "great" notes are while playing an instrument. (This also applies to the music sheet challenges in Harmony Hall!)
• Fixed inability to teleport home while holding out a candle.
• Chibis aren't prevented from picking up the daily Seasonal Candle just because they're wearing certain shoes.
• Props won’t lose functionality when you start recording a Shared Memory and then try to place the prop in it.
• Fixed a controller bug that prevented players from taking the hand of a friend without it being offered.

Cosmetics

• Fixed certain hairstyles not being attached to a Sky kid's head if they were wearing face paint-style masks.
• The Festival Scepter won't float in front of you when you're in handhold and start running, swimming, or sliding.
• Reduced the glow of the Days of Love Flowery Archway.
• Fixed hairstyles from Season of Assembly and Season of the Nine-Colored Deer clipping when using the skip expression.

General Fixes & Improvements

• Fixed audience reaction menu missing from AURORA concert.
• Chibi Sky kids can now cook marshmallows by standing in front of the stove prop. Careful though—don’t cook them for too long, wouldn’t want to let them burn!
• Side hug interaction animates correctly if two players use it at the same time.
• Text hint appears if a player tries to unlock something for event currency but doesn't have enough in their inventory.
• Fixed cases of Shared Space spells placed in levels not appearing for other players.
• When the closet menu is open, the Help question mark icon is easier to tap on devices with a small touch screen.
• It’s important to teach children to put their toys away when they’re done with them. This is why now, if a Sky kid wants to sit or lay down while they have props like the Dark Horn equipped, they will put them away instead of leaving them hanging in the air like they had been doing.
• Skipping a Season of Dreams memory quest cutscene won't relocate the player to a different location in the level.
• Banished that stubborn red dot that would appear next to a new friend in your Friendship Constellation and couldn’t be cleared.
• Fixed a UI bug that prevented players from closing the menu on the blocked players list.
• Called in the construction crew to fill in various holes in the Aviary Village area.
• Fixed feet cosmetics clipping into the ground when using the chibi mask or shrink spell.
• In the Secret Area accessible from Vault of Knowledge, fixed color of the floor terrain on the second floor back to white.
• If a player has a Days of Fortune tiger mask pin, scanning it won’t erroneously use up a tiger mask consumable spell that the player may have in their inventory.
• [PC] Emojis appear correctly when using Windows 10’s emoji keyboard shortcut.
• [Steam Deck] Fixed missing translate, report, and mute functions in the chat log.
• The rock decided to visit the colorful festivities that all the Sky kids were honking about. They couldn't use the hair tint spells, but a kind jellyfish friend helped out by pretending to be a pretty hat. They had lots of fun together, racing across rainbows and going super fast! The Sky kids didn't even see the rock zooming through and finishing in first place!

Please refer to this page for known issues ongoing or introduced with this patch: Known Issues Patch 0.26.0.

As always, we look forward to hearing your feedback, and encourage you to join the community discussion on our official Discord server at discord.gg/thatskygame!

Updated 2024.7.3: Edited SkyFest item description.
Updated 2024.7.10: Updated Tournament of Triumph event description.