Summary
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons was a highly successful game that attracted both veteran players and newcomers, but Nintendo announced two years ago that it would no longer receive major updates.
- Recent marketing from Nintendo, such as the release of themed Switch Lite consoles and Animal Crossing merchandise, has led fans to speculate that a new update may be coming soon.
- Some players are hoping for a major update, and with other rumors pointing toward a new Nintendo Direct soon, it could very well be on the cards. Fans will just have to wait and see though, as merchandise for the franchise is hardly a new concept.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons was one of the best-selling games on Switch when it was released in 2020, though this wasn't surprising since the franchise has been held in high regard since the early 2000s. Still, the success of Animal Crossing: New Horizons saw the return of millions of veteran players alongside a plethora of newcomers. Although the game remains immensely popular, Nintendo announced two years ago that it would no longer be giving the title any major updates.
To the disappointment of some players, version 2.0 of Animal Crossing: New Horizons was marketed as the "last free content update" when it debuted in November 2021. While the game has still been receiving attention, mostly in regard to patching bugs, some of the playerbase have expressed that they feel a bit abandoned by the Japanese video game company. However, recent marketing from Nintendo has some fans of the series speculating that a new update is going to be launched shortly.
An Update For Animal Crossing: New Horizons Could Be Revealed Soon
The belief that the developer may be working on something massive for Animal Crossing: New Horizons is mostly thanks to a few recently trending Twitter posts. On September 5, Twitter user NintenTalk posted an image of two upcoming Animal Crossing-themed blue and pink Switch Lites. It's been revealed that these consoles will be exclusive to Target and Walmart, and will come coupled with a digital copy of the game. Some folks have claimed they will be available by October 6 in the US, though Nintendo of Europe stated other locations should mark October 20 on their calendars instead.
Merchandise for the game is quite common, but there are those who think the release of themed consoles in 2023 may be a bit too random. That is, unless the developers are planning some surprise news. After all, coordinating new merchandise with an update makes a lot of sense.
Furthering the theories that Nintendo is going to revive its 2020 game, Twitter user mayahorizons noted that an Animal Crossing Coaster Set is debuting in the UK. Their caption expressed excitement as they wrote, "Oh they're DEFINITELY about to update this game." This was followed by people pondering why so much merchandise seems to be coming out lately as others joked that they wished Nintendo was purposefully giving the community crumbs of new Animal Crossing content.
The DLC for Animal Crossing: New Horizons was considered to be one of the best expansions for a Switch game, and it's clear some of the playerbase wants more. If Nintendo is going to reveal something soon, the September Nintendo Direct presentation that's rumored for next week could be the perfect stage. There are those who are wagering that news concerning Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Detective Pikachu Returns will be divulged, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons could easily be added to that list.
There are a lot of aspects a major update could include, so a lack of ideas from Nintendo wouldn't make sense. On the other hand, it would also make sense for Nintendo to work on another Animal Crossing game for the Switch 2 instead of returning to AC:NH, but chances are, something will happen with the franchise relatively soon. Hopefully, Nintendo will release an official statement in the coming weeks.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is available now on Nintendo Switch.