Catch a whiff of that… can you smell the LOVE in the air? Or is it… the next Season Pass?
Season Pass 3 is on its way! February is bringing the lovey-dovey vibes, but underneath all that romance are the real, meaty foundations of an epic new Season full of not just new Flutter Park quests, but new gameplay mechanics and features.
In this Dev Diary, we’re breaking down the major updates coming in our next season, Heartfelt Havoc:
Recycling: Swapping is out, and Recycling is in!
Signature Items: Some items are special, and they should look and feel that way in your closet, not just when you wear them.
Free Daily Spins: build your inventory with a free random item every day for the first two weeks of the season!
Now that we’re heading into Season 3, our seasonal flow is starting to hit its stride: fresh Pass quests and rewards, plus meaningful updates that make the whole Highrise experience smoother and more fun. This season leans cozy: spend less time dealing with dupes and waiting for the right fit, and more time doing what you love!
So, first off…
The Duplicate Problem
An inevitable consequence of the Blind Box grab system, this one hits especially hard for anyone who spins a lot of grabs. Duplicate items stack up fast, and the current ways to deal with them just aren’t as efficient (or as fun) as we’d like.
Currently, this is how you can deal with dupes:
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Discarding, which gives you a flat 20 bubbles for any item.
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Trading, which is SUPER fun, but is a slow process that involves finding someone else who wants what you have.
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Swapping, which is kind of hidden, can actually feel kind of bad when you end up swapping for items that are of lower value than what you originally spun.
Not to mention… THE CLUTTER. (More on that in another Dev Diary…)
Introducing: Recycling
Recycling is a reliable way to turn unwanted closet duplicates into real value. Recycling replaces discarding for closet items (note: pets, furniture, and emotes aren’t Recyclable). Instead of getting 20 bubbles, you’ll be able to convert items into a new kind of currency:
Threads (but also sometimes Bubbles 
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Recycling gives you Threads (and/or Bubbles), with returns based on item rarity, so duplicates actually scale into something meaningful.
Note: Recycling will apply to NEW items only! Any item released before this update will yield Bubbles when discarded.
Threads will be redeemable at a new shop called the Thread Exchange: functionally, a replacement for the Swap Shop. This is the reason Swapping is getting axed: the Threads system is here to take its place and overall be a whole ton better. 
Ps: If you’re wondering why the Snugglin token changed from Threads 
Fluff, this is why! Yoinking the “Threads” name for this new system just made sense 
Here’s the basic flow for how you can curate your closet, AND get real value back for dupes:
Open stuff → get dupes → Recycle dupes → get different packs of Threads based on rarity → use Threads at the Thread Exchange → choose the items you want.
How To Recycle
IRL, did you know pizza boxes aren’t recyclable? Unlike the real world, Recycling in HR is going to be straightforward and fast, not confusing.
In your Inventory, you’ll see a Recycling Mode button:
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Tap it to enter Recycling Mode
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Select items (with helpful power tools like):
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Select all non-favorites
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Select all duplicates
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Then, you’ll see a summary of:
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How many items you selected
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The breakdown by rarity
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The total Threads (and Bubbles) you’ll get
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Tap-and-hold Recycle to confirm
You’ll also see a wallet display in the top right corner, so you know how many Threads you have, and a helpful quick link to the Thread Exchange!
Signature Items
Being iconic in HR is easy to recognize, hard to name. Doodle Kitchen, for example, is synonymous with highly rendered, HD styles and plush, realistic outfits. These types of looks deserve a special way to mark them out from the rest of your inventory… don’t they?
Meet Signature Items! Signature is a new item property that makes certain items feel truly special. They’re the kind of item you’d never want to give up. 
It’s separate from the usual “account-bound” vs “tradable” labels, and is designed to spotlight ultra-valuable, collectible items while celebrating the creator behind them.
Signature items are literally creator-signed: the item shows the creator’s signature as part of the Signature identity.
We wanted to clean up the visual display for these precious collectibles. For Signature items, rarity stars are replaced by the Signature logo itself, and there’s no account-bound icon. Even if it’s effectively a “keep forever” item, you won’t see the account-bound symbol anywhere (preview, UI, etc.) as a way to keep the presentation of these ultra-rare rewards clean and aesthetic.
Plus! Free Daily Spins
Almost as old as the dupe conundrum, we’ve long heard that getting started in Highrise is HARD. When you’re a free player, getting an inventory that you’re excited about and that accurately expresses your identity can be an uphill battle.
That’s why we’re launching Season 3 with a totally new reward system: the Free Daily Blind Box Spin, designed especially for F2P players to build toward better rewards over time, without impacting our delicate trading economy.
Here’s how it’ll work:
Log in every day for the first two weeks of the upcoming Season. On the Shop page, you’ll see three Blind Boxes to choose from: one representing each of our most recent Event grabs! Pick a box, any box, and tap it to claim a random Account Bound reward from that grab.
EDIT: Boost is not supported in event-related items. We apologize for the confusion!
Anyone can start building their closets, or keep on building their collections just for logging in! Did we not say that this was the season of sharing the love?
TL;DR
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Season 3, Heartfelt Havoc, brings you both new quests AND brand new cozy features!
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New Season Pass: Romance vibes are all the rage! Get ready to explore a whole new world of Valentine’s-themed looks all month long
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Recycling Mode: The replacement for Swapping, trade out your duplicates for rarity-based Thread payouts. Spend your Threads on special seasonal items!
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Free Daily Spin: made for folks who don’t spend in HR, log in every day for the first two weeks of the season to get a random item from our recent event grabs
There’s more to love – so stay tuned! The new season launches on Wednesday, January 21…! 