Animal Crossing: New Horizons was perhaps the biggest surprise hit of the Nintendo Switch console generation. This 2020 game was launched at a rather unusual time, right at the very start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since everyone was stuck at home back then, social simulation games like Animal Crossing managed to appeal to a wider-than-usual audience. Animal Crossing: New Horizons performed incredibly well for a game of its caliber. It sold over 47 million copies in 5 years on the Nintendo Switch, surpassing even the sales of titles like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Smash Bros: Ultimate.
After seeing how successful the game was, Nintendo unsurprisingly decided to support it with multiple major content updates, the first time it had ever done so for an Animal Crossing title. In the months after its launch, the company added new content to the game themed around real-world seasons and holidays. It also released a paid expansion for New Horizons titled Happy Home Paradise, which allowed players to design vacation homes for villagers. After the debut of the 2.0 update in November 2021, however, Nintendo largely stopped supporting the game with new content. That said, the company has recently started releasing updates for Animal Crossing: New Horizons again, although they're relatively minor in scope.
The Nintendo 3DS exclusive, Animal Crossing: New Leaf, also received a few minor updates post-launch, but none of them added any major content, aside from amiibo support.
Why the Next Animal Crossing Could Be Closer Than You Think
Animal Crossing’s next big release could be closer than fans think, especially with the Switch 2 and the franchise’s 25th anniversary on the horizon.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons Should Get More Updates in the Future
Nintendo Has Started Releasing Updates for AC: New Horizons Again, After Years of Inactivity
On May 27, 2025, Animal Crossing: New Horizons got a new patch that improved the compatibility for multiplayer sessions between Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. Then, on June 18, it received another patch that fixed some bugs, including one that only affected those who played the game on the Nintendo Switch 2. According to Nintendo, the latest Animal Crossing: New Horizons update also made some unspecified "adjustments and corrections" to improve the gameplay experience.
These two updates are significant, not for the content they contain, but rather for the time that they were released in. The May 2025 Animal Crossing: New Horizons update was the first patch that the game had received in over two years. Prior to that, Nintendo hadn't released a single piece of new content for the game since November 2022. It's frankly odd that Nintendo decided to abandon Animal Crossing: New Horizons so abruptly back then, considering how profitable the game was for the company. Since New Horizons still has a lot of potential, though, these new updates for the game hopefully won't be its last.
Nintendo Could Promote the Next Animal Crossing Game By Adding New Content to New Horizons
Animal Crossing: New Horizons has been out for around five years, so it's about time for a new mainline entry in the series. Nintendo has traditionally launched a new Animal Crossing game roughly a year after releasing a new console, so there's a chance that the Switch 2 could get a successor to Animal Crossing: New Horizons as soon as 2026.
Before it completely moves on from New Horizons, though, Nintendo should release more updates for the game ahead of the launch of the series' next installment. In order to promote the next Animal Crossing game, Nintendo could add new posters and cosmetic items to New Horizons that depict the new Animal Crossing villagers and NPCs in the upcoming title. It could also add a countdown timer to New Horizons to celebrate the launch of the next Animal Crossing game.
Nintendo hasn't officially announced that a new Animal Crossing game is in development, but there have been some rumors as of late that point toward a 2026 release for the series' next installment. The Nintendo YouTuber Wood Hawker, in fact, recently claimed that the follow-up to New Horizons will be announced at an as-of-yet unconfirmed Nintendo Direct scheduled for July. If the next Animal Crossing game is really going to be revealed so soon, adding promotional content for the game to Animal Crossing: New Horizons would be a great way to advertise it and attract the attention of millions of fans.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 90 /100 Critics Rec: 99%
- Released
- March 20, 2020
- ESRB
- Everyone / Comic Mischief, Mild Fantasy Violence, Users Interact, In-Game Purchases
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo EPD
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Engine
- Havok
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Local Multiplayer
- Expansions
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons — Happy Home Paradise
WHERE TO PLAY
Escape to a deserted island and create your own paradise as you explore, create, and customize in the Animal Crossing: New Horizons game. Your island getaway has a wealth of natural resources that can be used to craft everything from tools to creature comforts. You can hunt down insects at the crack of dawn, decorate your paradise throughout the day, or enjoy sunset on the beach while fishing in the ocean. The time of day and season match real life, so each day on your island is a chance to check in and find new surprises all year round.
Show off your island utopia to family and friends—or pack your bags and visit theirs. Whether playing online** or with others beside you***, island living is even better when you can share it. Even without hopping on a flight, you’ll meet a cast of charming animal residents bursting with personality. Friendly faces like Tom Nook and Isabelle will lend their services and happily help you grow your budding community. Escape to your island getaway—however, whenever, and wherever you want.
- Genre(s)
- Simulation
