Short answer: There’s no official public announcement naming a single “next exclusive lantern” for The Mimic; community leaks and sneak-peeks suggest a free exclusive lantern tied to an upcoming mini-event (a samurai/Kaio-style lantern mentioned in previews), but the developer hasn’t confirmed a final exclusive name or permanent shop release yet.

Details from community sources

  • Sneak-peek shows a new free lantern released around an event on August 9 (samurai-faced lantern tied to the Roblox Innovation Awards in one preview). This source presents a developer message and footage of the lantern preview but does not state long-term exclusivity conditions beyond the event tie-in.
  • Other community posts and videos say Muk (the developer) teased an exclusive free-obtainable lantern during a small mini-event (described as exclusive but free, and visually similar to Kaio / Book 1 monsters). Those posts report the event will be modest because of Book 3 development, and the lantern will be obtainable through that mini-event rather than a paid shop release.
  • Several YouTube previews and fan posts show different upcoming lanterns (including a “helmet revamp” / Tao-like lantern and other limited or shop-labeled lanterns), but these are previews or leaks rather than final store announcements.

What this means for players

  • Expect limited-time or event-based free exclusives: multiple community sources point to free exclusive lanterns tied to mini-events rather than immediately going behind a paywall.
  • Timing is event-dependent: one preview referenced an early-August free release and other posts mention smaller events while Book 3 is in development, so availability windows may be short.
  • Confirm with official channels: because the sources above are previews, leaks, and community videos, the most reliable confirmations come from the developer’s official posts (game’s Roblox page, Discord, or the developer’s social media) when they publish an explicit announcement.

Example timeline (based on community reporting)

  1. Developer preview/sneak-peek posted showing new lantern artwork and animation.
  1. Mini-event scheduled around that preview (one mention: August 9 free lantern tied to an award event).
  1. Community grabs/streams the lantern during the short release window; if it’s labelled exclusive, it may not be added to the permanent shop later.

Recommendation

  • Watch the game’s official Roblox page and the developer’s Discord or social feeds closely in the days before the hinted event dates to secure the lantern during the mini-event; community preview videos show the lantern will be free but obtainable only during the limited event window.

Closing note

  • The information above comes from community previews and guides reporting sneak-peeks and event hints; no single, definitive official announcement naming “the next exclusive lantern” was available in those sources at the time of these reports.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.