
It is an exciting time for Animal Crossing fans with a brand-new update expected to arrive to kick off the new year.
After all, it has been five years since Animal Crossing: New Horizons was first released, saving many of us during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Released just at the start of the first lockdown, New Horizons has been praised for managing to bring friends together during the tough time and managed to keep all of our minds off the real world by seeing us create and design our very own animal-filled island.
Despite Nintendo releasing one DLC for Animal Crossing: New Horizons, titled Happy Home Paradise, the company announced that it would no longer support the Nintendo Switch game from 2021 onwards.
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With many fans sadly accepting the truth that no new content would be added to the game, Nintendo surprised us all last week by announcing that Animal Crossing: New Horizons 3.0 would arrive on 15 January 2025.

Arriving alongside heaps of new content, collaborations, and even a Nintendo Switch 2 port, Animal Crossing is well and truly back and it seems as though the celebrations do not end there.
Shared on the NSO Icon Alerts Twitter account, Nintendo has announced the next free icons to arrive on the Nintendo Switch and it is the perfect way to celebrate the exciting Animal Crossing news.
Available for Nintendo Switch Online members throughout November for both the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, 35 brand-new icons are up for grabs alongside five backgrounds and five frames.
This selection celebrates all things Animal Crossing with the 35 icons showcasing some of our favourite animal friends ranging from Isabelle, Lucky, Lobo, Sahara, and many more.
The icons cost 10 Platinum each but this virtual currency is easily racked up by purchasing and playing games on your console.
Both the backgrounds and frames cost just 5 coins so there is no doubt that you will be able to afford some of your favourites.
How to access
To access the freebies, you will need to head to your Nintendo Switch Online membership page on your Switch and head to the ‘Missions & Rewards’ section.
These brand-new Animal Crossing-related icons will be available throughout November before being switched out once again so if you want to celebrate the news in style ahead of January, do not miss out.
Topics: Nintendo, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch Online, Animal Crossing