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Animal Crossing: New Horizons Game Gets Switch 2 Edition, Free Update on January 15
posted on by Alex Mateo
Nintendo announced on Thursday that its Animal Crossing: New Horizons game will get a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition on January 15. Nintendo Switch players can pay to upgrade their game to the Switch 2 Edition. Both the Switch and Switch 2 versions will get a free 3.0 update on the same day. The company streamed a trailer:
The Switch 2 Edition features higher resolution, mouse controls, an in-game megaphone using the system's microphone, 12 player online, and CameraPlay via the GameChat functionality.
The free update adds Kappn's Resort Hotel, storage expansion up to 9,000 items, a clean-up service by Resetti, and three Slumber Islands separate from the home island that multiple players can collaborate on. New items include Nintendo products, some of which allow players with Nintendo Switch Online memberships to play classic games. The update also adds LEGO items. Finally, by using amiibo from The Legend of Zelda and Splatoon series, players can unlock items and characters from both.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the latest entry in the Animal Crossing franchise. The game was originally slated to ship in 2019, but was delayed to March 2020. The game sold 1.88 million copies in Japan in its first three days, the highest ever number of first-week copies sold for a Switch game in Japan. As of June 2024, the game has sold 45.85 million copies worldwide. The game received its last major free update in November 2021, alongside a paid DLC update.
The paid DLC Happy Home Paradise allowed players to coordinate dream vacation homes and lifestyles for characters. The previous free update, originally announced as the last major free one, included The Roost cafe owned by Brewster, Kapp'n's boat tours to mysterious islands, new shops for Harv's islands, add ordinances, upgraded home services, expanded storage, cooking with DIY recipes, lighting and ceiling decor, updated camera features, new reactions, more furniture, and Gyroids.
The free-to-play Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp smartphone game ended service in November 2024. The paid Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Complete app replaced it that December. Players could transfer their previous saved data after purchasing the new paid app.
Source: Press release
