Upland Istanbul opened October 29: first city release to open with Troves
Istanbul, Türkiye, opened in Upland on October 29, 2026, at 16:00 UTC. Upland calls this its first city release to open with Troves. The Hot Air Balloon Trove celebration is underway after a delayed start.
On October 26, 2026, Upland posted (opens in new tab) the open time, the balloon rules, and a set of pre-release sales.
Background
Upland is a city-builder on a real-world map. You can explore and develop without connecting a wallet. UPX is Upland's in-game currency.
Troves are collectible items found throughout Upland. They went live game-wide on October 22, 2026. Recipes are crafting lists that turn collected Troves into other Troves. The October 15 Troves update previewed a travel system for terminals and landmarks. No release date.
What happened
Istanbul opened October 29
Istanbul Is Coming to Upland (opens in new tab), dated October 26, 2026, set the city open for Thursday, October 29, 2026, at 16:00 UTC. Istanbul opened at that time. About 5% of the city opened. It has 53 neighborhoods, about 20,000 properties, 12 Collections, and 19 listed landmarks. Collections are grouped sets of properties that stay hidden until they mint out. Treasure Hunt is Tier 4, and Mint Masters badges are active. The first Collections reveal is November 5, 2026. The final Collections reveal and lock is November 19, 2026. Those reveal days have no published time of day.
Hot Air Balloon Trove celebration
The Hot Air Balloon Trove celebration was originally scheduled to start at October 29, 2026, 17:00 UTC, one hour after the city opened. The start was pushed back. Upland's official X account said the balloons were live at 18:04 UTC that day. The celebration runs through October 31, 2026, 16:00 UTC.
Balloons appear across Istanbul. They relocate randomly every hour, and they also move in the air above a property in real time. To collect, you need to be in range of a balloon. A 25-minute cooldown applies.
The balloons give a chance to collect special Troves that are normally obtainable only through recipes, without fulfilling those recipes. There is also a chance at some Troves not yet released.
Upland's supporting video, Istanbul's Hot Air Balloons Show What Troves Can Do (opens in new tab), covers the moving balloons, Istanbul street cats, and a first look at landmarks and terminals.
Troves: The Bigger Picture livestream
Upland streamed Troves: The Bigger Picture on October 28, 2026, from 17:00 UTC to 17:40 UTC. A replay is available on YouTube (opens in new tab).
Pre-release sales
Prices and windows are on Istanbul Is Coming to Upland (opens in new tab). Sales are priced for web and mobile; International Airport Terminals are web only.
The Istanbul City Pass sale ran from October 27, 2026, 16:00 UTC to October 30, 2026, 16:00 UTC at $5 web / $7 mobile (1,000 passes). Holding a pass at the October 30, 2026, 16:00 UTC snapshot reserved one Istanbul property address to mint, with a chance that address is a Collection property. The pass boosts All-Time and seasonal Collector Scores and unlocks the Istanbul Townhouse. Property minting cost is not included. That address is now mintable. The mint window ends November 2, 2026, 17:00 UTC. A start time of day for minting is not published.
Istanbul Street Cats is a limited five-design Block Explorer series (Simit Cat, Tea Cat, Nazar Cat, Ferry Cat, Carpet Cat), 70 mints each. A Block Explorer is a map tool you move near objects to collect Troves; stamina is the pool that powers that collection. Each design is sold as its own bundle at $20: 20,000 UPX plus the named explorer, stamina 75. That sale runs from October 27, 2026, 16:00 UTC to November 1, 2026, 17:00 UTC.
The Istanbul Property Pre-Sale ran from October 28, 2026, 16:00 UTC to October 29, 2026, 14:00 UTC, two hours before the city opened. Remaining inventory left the store at that close. Tiers: Low 15,000 UPX (800 properties), Mid 25,000 UPX (600 properties), High 45,000 UPX (300 properties), Curated two properties 85,000 UPX (200 bundles). The Deluxe Bundle was listed in the pre-sale; no separate window was published: $100 web / $143 mobile, 300 bundles, two Istanbul properties, the Grand Bazaar Spice Shop, a higher chance of a Collection property, and the possibility of Column of Constantine or Çemberlitaş Hammam.
The Istanbul Terminal Sale runs from October 28, 2026, 16:00 UTC to November 1, 2026, 17:00 UTC: 10 International Airport Terminals, listed at $1,536 per International Airport Terminal, web only. The Istanbul Marina Bundle uses the same window: $30 web / $42.90 mobile, 200 bundles, 30,000 UPX plus one marina property.
The Istanbul City Pass, Street Cats Block Explorers, and Harvest Season 2026 badges can contribute to Harvest Collector Score (opens in new tab), the seasonal score. All Harvest Season 2026 badges are eligible; which Istanbul badges count is not published. Badges make up 50% of the score. On that page, places 1 through 3 receive 200,000 UPX each, the Harvest Season Collector Badge, and The Gilded Acorn '26 Block Explorer; places 4 through 10 receive 50,000 UPX each and that explorer; places 11 through 25 receive The Gilded Acorn '26 Block Explorer.
Harvest Week 4 "Istanbul Bound" runs from October 27, 2026, 16:00 UTC to November 3, 2026, 15:00 UTC. Sweat (travel to Istanbul) and Build (mint one Istanbul property) are the weekly mission labels. Full weekly rules are on the Harvest missions page (opens in new tab).
Planned landmark, terminal, and marina utility
These are Upland's stated plans for the travel system. The studio has not set a release date.
In the travel system, landmarks are planned to attract visits from residents and Uppies (in-game characters) on their daily journeys. Troves are planned to accumulate there for the owner to collect. Terminals are planned to accumulate Troves from that traffic, in addition to the rewards terminal owners already get from player travel. Collection automation is also planned. The World on the Move preview (opens in new tab) places that work after the Troves launch, with no date.
Marina properties are waterfront space to dock and store boats. Boats and fishing are planned to launch from marinas, with the dock location helping decide which waters you can reach. Fishing is planned from boats, not from shoreline properties. The boats and fishing page (opens in new tab) describes that system as in development.
Who it affects
Players traveling to Istanbul
Istanbul opened on October 29, 2026, at 16:00 UTC. Collect Troves from the balloons through October 31, 2026, 16:00 UTC. Balloons relocate hourly and move in real time above a property. Be in range of a balloon to collect those Troves. A 25-minute cooldown applies. Week 4 Sweat (travel to Istanbul) and Build (mint one Istanbul property) run through November 3, 2026, 15:00 UTC.
Collectors and store buyers
City Pass sold at $5 web / $7 mobile (1,000 passes). The snapshot was October 30, 2026, 16:00 UTC. That reserved address is now mintable through the mint window (minting cost not included). Street Cats designs are sold as their own $20 bundles while that sale is open. The property pre-sale, including the Deluxe Bundle, ended October 29, 2026, 14:00 UTC. Terminal and Marina Bundle sales remain open.
At a glance
Timeline
| When | What |
|---|---|
| October 26, 2026 | Upland posted Istanbul Is Coming to Upland |
| October 27, 2026, 16:00 UTC to October 30, 2026, 16:00 UTC | Istanbul City Pass sale |
| October 27, 2026, 16:00 UTC to November 1, 2026, 17:00 UTC | Street Cats Block Explorer sale |
| October 27, 2026, 16:00 UTC to November 3, 2026, 15:00 UTC | Harvest Week 4 missions |
| October 28, 2026, 16:00 UTC to October 29, 2026, 14:00 UTC | Property pre-sale, including the Deluxe Bundle |
| October 28, 2026, 16:00 UTC to November 1, 2026, 17:00 UTC | Terminal sale and Marina Bundle sale |
| October 28, 2026, 17:00 UTC to October 28, 2026, 17:40 UTC | Troves: The Bigger Picture livestream (replay available) |
| October 29, 2026, 16:00 UTC | Istanbul opened |
| October 29, 2026, 17:00 UTC | Hot Air Balloon Trove celebration originally scheduled to start (start was pushed back) |
| October 29, 2026, 18:04 UTC | Upland said the balloons were live |
| October 30, 2026, 16:00 UTC | City Pass snapshot |
| October 30, 2026, through November 2, 2026, 17:00 UTC | City Pass mint window (start time unpublished; properties now mintable) |
| October 31, 2026, 16:00 UTC | Hot Air Balloon Trove celebration ends |
| November 5, 2026 | First Collections reveal |
| November 19, 2026 | Final Collections reveal and lock |
Sales
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Istanbul City Pass | $5 web / $7 mobile; 1,000 passes |
| Street Cats bundles | $20 each (20,000 UPX plus the named explorer); 70 per design; stamina 75 |
| Property pre-sale tiers | Low 15,000 UPX (800 properties); Mid 25,000 UPX (600 properties); High 45,000 UPX (300 properties); Curated two properties 85,000 UPX (200 bundles) |
| Deluxe Bundle | $100 web / $143 mobile; 300 bundles |
| Terminal sale | 10 International Airport Terminals; listed at $1,536 per International Airport Terminal, web only |
| Marina Bundle | $30 web / $42.90 mobile; 200 bundles; 30,000 UPX plus one marina |
On Web3Raider
Closest pages:
- Games, NFT
- Upland game page
- Related news: Upland Troves go live October 22, Upland Troves launch and World on the Move, Harvest Collector Score, Harvest Season 2026 kickoff, Upland Troves update: 284 recipes and Gold banking
What to watch next
- Whether Upland publishes a time of day for the Collections reveals on November 5, 2026, and November 19, 2026.
- Whether Upland sets a release date for the travel system.
- Whether Upland sets a launch date for boats and fishing.
- Whether Upland clarifies the scope of the 25-minute cooldown.
Official sources
- Istanbul Is Coming to Upland (opens in new tab)
- Istanbul Is Coming to Upland (Medium) (opens in new tab)
- Troves Go Live Today: How to Collect, Bank, and Progress (opens in new tab)
- Harvest Season 2026: Fresh Missions, New Discoveries (opens in new tab)
- A World on the Move: A New Chapter for Terminals and Landmarks (opens in new tab)
- Boats & Fishing Are Officially Coming to Upland in 2026 (opens in new tab)
- Collector Score is Back For Harvest Season (opens in new tab)
- Istanbul's Hot Air Balloons Show What Troves Can Do (opens in new tab)
- Troves: The Bigger Picture (opens in new tab)
- Upland Discord (opens in new tab)
Bottom line: Be in range of a balloon to collect Troves while the Hot Air Balloon Trove celebration is on. A 25-minute cooldown applies. If you hold a City Pass, mint the reserved Istanbul address during the mint window. Remaining sales are on Istanbul Is Coming to Upland (opens in new tab).