
Nintendo gamers have been left shocked after the announcement of a brand-new Animal Crossing: New Horizons update which will be launching in the new year.
First announced back in 2020 and arriving alongside the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Animal Crossing: New Horizons became a lifeline for gamers all over the world who were able to still play with friends despite the severe lockdown conditions.
With millions of fans flocking to the latest entry in the beloved social simulation game, Animal Crossing: New Horizons received critical acclaim and is now widely regarded as one of the best video games of all time.
In November of 2021, Animal Crossing: New Horizons welcomed its first and only DLC titled Happy Home Paradise, but following that extra content, Nintendo soon hung up their hats on development, leaving ACNH left in the dust.
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As a result, fans accepted the sad truth that the beloved title would never welcome any additional content.
However, excitement was rekindled just yesterday after Nintendo stunned fans by announcing that a brand-new update was indeed on the way.

Launching in January 2026, Animal Crossing: New Horizons will be receiving a free update as well as a Nintendo Switch 2 port.
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As you can imagine, fans were overjoyed with the news, especially as the update will be introducing heaps of new content that will inspire many of us to boot up our islands for the first time in years.
“Guess I should log back in and start cleaning things up!” One fan announced over on r/AnimalCrossing.
Another agreed, adding, “The hotel seems amazing and there are three sandbox worlds you can collaboratively create?? Such an insane update.”
However, beneath the exciting update, a sad truth lingers.
It could be a long wait
Does an update of this magnitude mean that a new Animal Crossing entry will be many years away?
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After all, this could be Nintendo’s way of satiating fans in the meantime and, as a result, we may not see the next entry until at least 2030.
That is what some fans are worrying about.
“So does this mean no new Animal Crossing game for a few more years??” User verswazy asked.
Of course, Nintendo has not announced another Animal Crossing title and so we are unsure if one is in development or if it even has plans to work on one at all.
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However, it is not all doom and gloom as we can expect Version 3.0 of Animal Crossing: New Horizons to arrive in January alongside heaps of new and exciting content.
Topics: Animal Crossing, Nintendo, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, Reddit