A surprise announcement from Animal Crossing today is sure to bring the comfy and cozy vibes to fans of the franchise, inspiring hope and positive energy yet again when many need it most.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons helped millions of gamers (new and veterans alike) navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, and it’s one that many remember very fondly. And while today’s news is not quite the new game that many players were hoping for, it’s still a welcome one.
New Horizons will be getting a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition upgrade alongside a 3.0 free update early next year, bringing about a slew of technical improvements for the new console, but with a decent amount of new content to play, too.
The 3.0 update is free for all players on Switch 1 and Switch 2, but the Switch 2 upgrade pack is unfortunately paid DLC. Purchasing the upgrade pack ($4.99) will unlock enhanced resolution up to 4K and JoyCon 2 mouse controls to help with decorating or creating custom designs, like messages on the town billboard.
There’s also a new Megaphone item that uses the Switch 2’s mic to call out and locate your island residents. The Switch 2 version also allows for up to 12 players connect and play together on an island, with support for GameChat while playing.
Everything else in the 3.0 update is free alongside the new update, including a new hotel location where you can decorate guest rooms, unlock new items and outfits, and DIY goods. There’s also a number of quality of life updates like increased storage, and the ability to “tidy” up areas of the island with the new NPC Resetti that can reset whole areas of the map.
Luna’s New Dream World also lets players visit a place called Slumber Island, which is basically a sandbox area for players to decorate and build on to their heart’s content, terraforming and creating as they please.
Collabs in the update include the ability to play retro Nintendo games within Animal Crossing itself, LEGO-themed items like furniture and fashion items, and a Legend of Zelda collab featuring characters like Mineru and Tulin, and some Splatoon items, too.
Both the Switch 2 upgrade and 3.0 update for New Horizons arrive early next year on Jan. 15, 2026. One thing is for sure: my villagers are going to be pissed at how I have neglected them these past four years.
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