Mode Designs unveils 2026 Sonnet, Encore updates, Monterey and Cacao keycap colorways

Mode Designs announced refreshed 2026 editions of the Sonnet and Encore keyboards alongside two new keycap colorways, Monterey and Cacao, with immediate pre-orders for Sonnet and the keycaps and a separate Encore pre-order window to open next month. The company’s YouTube description stated, “The Sonnet and our new keycaps, Cacao and Monterey, are now available for pre-order, with fulfillment beginning in May. Encore pre-orders open next month.”

The announcement was led by a video titled “Introducing the 2026 Encore and Sonnet Keyboards,” posted March 3, 2026, on Mode Designs’ YouTube channel. The video page shows 7,706 views, 358 likes, 12,500 subscribers, and 65 comments, and the description opens with the company line, “After a year of research and development, we’re introducing updates to two of our most loved keyboards. The 2026 Encore and Sonnet build on what made them favorites - now refined from the inside out.”

Mode Designs’ Encore received the most granular specifications in the captured site copy: Encore is listed as a “65% size, with arrow keys” keyboard, described visually by the phrase, “The thick bezel and contrasting use of materials are striking.” The product capture explicitly lists mounting options as “Top or Lattice mount selectable,” firmware support as “QMK / VIA support,” and cross-platform compatibility as “Mac / PC / Linux support.” The announcement copy also states, “Starting with Encore, it will be part of Mode Designs’ permanent collection and will now be sold year-round,” and the Green‑Keys capture preserves the line, “The following keepers have been revamped, including new colors and the adoption of a new mounting system.”

Mode Designs’ Sonnet appears in site navigation and promotional headings as “The Sonnet” with calls to “Build Yours Explore Sonnet,” and the video description confirms Sonnet pre-orders live now with fulfillment beginning in May. The site capture includes Sonnet alongside prior year references in the extra parts list, naming “Sonnet,” “Sonnet (2024),” and “Sonnet (2022),” but the provided extracts do not include technical specifications equivalent to Encore’s mount and firmware details.

The two new keycap colorways are explicitly named “Monterey” and “Cacao” and were announced simultaneously with the 2026 updates on the company’s Discord channel, a timing preserved in the capture: “On March 4, 2026, Mode Designs updated its discord channel to announce the simultaneous release of two new keycaps, Monterey and Cacao, with updates to Encore and Sonnet for the new 2026 edition.” Mode Designs’ site color list also shows “Cacao Monterey Obscura Anthracite Lotus,” but the available materials and profile details for Monterey and Cacao are not specified in the captured text.

The Green‑Keys capture includes author information, “Greenkeys Editor-in-Chief/Web Writer Founder of Japan Layout Alliance (JLA) Ryosuke Kawamura,” and reproduces the page disclosure, “This page contains advertisements. Products and links provided by manufacturers may be included, but will be fairly verified and clearly disclosed in accordance with our editorial policy.” The site screenshot artifact with the string “1ae881fbf4f4e1e2f67958765fd51dcd” is visible in the capture, and Mode Designs’ site copy further frames the launch with mission language: “Designing products for better spaces” and “Our goal is to design keyboards that you look forward to using everyday, and that complement your space, more like a piece of decor than a device.”

Fulfillment for Sonnet and the Monterey and Cacao keycap sets is slated to begin in May, per Mode Designs’ YouTube description, while Encore pre-orders are scheduled to open next month and the company says Encore will become part of its permanent, year-round collection. Pricing, full Sonnet technical specs, keycap profile and material details, and region-by-region shipping schedules were not provided in the captured announcements and remain to be released.