A new update is coming to 'Animal Crossing: New Horizons' on the Nintendo Switch

Terri Peters
·3 min read

Since it's release in March 2020, the newest "Animal Crossing" game for the Nintendo Switch, "New Horizons," has captured the attention of quarantined kids and parents everywhere.

After all, interacting with anthropromorphic animals, building an island village and completing tasks like fishing, fossil-hunting and gardening in the game is an effective way to pass the time while social distancing to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Now, a month after the popular game hit stores, Nintendo has announced a free update, which will roll out new events and experiences within the game starting on April 23.

Parents

A YouTube video outlining the upcoming changes walks viewers through the pending new additions to the game. They include a sloth named Leif who will visit each island in the game selling plants that were previously not available, and a special "wedding season" activity within the game in the month of June. Players will be able to take wedding photos of the characters Reese and Cyrus, two married alpacas who have appeared in previous "Animal Crossing" games.

To grab the update for your family's Nintendo Switch, be sure to close out of the software and restart it on April 23. The Switch system will check for available updates before opening the software again and should automatically download the new content.

Parents

According to a post on the Nintendo website, here's what players can expect once the updates, available in the game for a limited time, begin later this week.

Leif’s Garden Shop: The sloth character, Leif, will appear in the "plaza" area of each island to sell new varieties of flowers, plants and shrubs. (The azalea bushes look super adorable!)

Jolly Redd’s Treasure Trawler: Redd, a fox character who has appeared in other versions of "Animal Crossing," will randomly appear on islands by boat. The tricky animal will be on board selling art, and players will need to figure out whether his wares are real or fake. Redd's appearance also will lead to an expansion of the museum on the island, allowing players to donate artwork for display.

Nature Day: This event will run from April 23 through May 4. Special earth-friendly challenges, such as planting trees and watering flowers, will be given by the character Tom Nook through his "Nook Miles" phone app.

May Day Tour: Friday, May 1 is May Day, and during the first week of May (May 1 to 7) players will receive a one-time-use plane ticket to be used at the airport on their island. The "May Day Ticket" will give players a tour of an island they've never seen before. Nintendo says a "special visitor who looks familiar" will be there waiting.

International Museum Day: Monday, May 18 is International Museum Day, and to celebrate, players will receive a special stamp card from the owl character, Blathers, who runs the museum on their island. After visiting different exhibits and collecting stamps, they'll receive a special reward in the game. This event runs from May 18 to 31.

Wedding Season: To kick off wedding season, married alpacas Reese and Cyrus will be on dog character Harvey's island from June 1 through 30. The pair will be requesting anniversary photos, and players will need to create a wedding chapel scene for the photo shoot. They will be rewarded with wedding-themed items for their work.