Nintendo Drops New Animal Crossing Limited-Time Free Download

Nintendo has just dropped a new free download for Animal Crossing fans on the Switch.

The Animal Crossing series is one of the most popular franchises Nintendo has under its belt, with the latest game selling over 32 million copies in the first year of release, grossing around $2 billion for Nintendo.

While we’re probably still a few years away from hearing about the next Animal Crossing game, Nintendo is supporting New Horizons with a fresh slate of content in January.

As hype for the New Horizons 3.0 update increases, Nintendo has now added three new Animal Crossing-related icons to Nintendo Switch Online. This follows last week’s news which saw 45 new icons and decorations be added to the service.

The new icons feature Timmy and Tommy Nook together in one icon, while the other two feature Orville and Wilbur, the two dodos who run Dodo Airlines in New Horizons.

How to grab these downloads

If you’d like to redeem these icons for yourself, load up your Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch 2 console and head to the Nintendo Switch Online membership page on the home screen.

From here, find “Missions and Rewards” where you’ll be able to claim the icons and add them to your account.

The Animal Crossing icons are available on Nintendo Switch Online for the month of November, before being switched out for something new next month. Right now, Nintendo has said it’ll discontinue these icons on 1st December, so there’s still plenty of time.

In any case, they serve as a nice little celebration for the upcoming 3.0 update coming to Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which launches on 15th January, 2026.

The new update features support for Nintendo Switch 2 owners, increasing the resolution to 4K and taking advantage of mouse controls for various features. Multiplayer lobby sizes have also been increased from 8 players to 12, allowing bigger parties on your island.

You can also use the Switch 2’s microphone as a megaphone to call upon specific islanders, which is perfect for when you need to find a certain villager but they’re nowhere to be found.

All players, including those on the original Switch, get access to a free major expansion though. This expansion features the new Resort Hotel, where you can help decorate guest rooms with specific themes.

The update also features increased storage, new Dream Worlds, and the ability to craft multiple items at once. There are also lots of new items, including content based on The Legend of Zelda and LEGO.