Animal Crossing: New Horizons Ver. 3.0 Update & Switch 2 Edition Announced

After four years of silence since the release of the Happy Home Paradise DLC and Ver. 2.0 update, the Animal Crossing community were in for a treat last week as Nintendo released an announcement video on Thursday.

The 12 and a half minutes video showcased the new 3.0 update and as well as the Switch 2 Edition of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Both of these will launch next year on January 15th, 2026. The Ver. 3.0 update will be available for free for both the original Switch as well as the Switch 2 Edition. The Switch 2 upgrade pack, which costs $4.99, will come with its own set of exclusive upgrades.

The Ver. 3.0 update will include additional features such as:

• quality of life improvements: bulk crafting and expanded storage space,
• new additional features: a resort hotel, where you can decorate the guest rooms with specific themes to please the guests, and Resetti Reset Service, a way to quickly help you clear up areas,
• new decoration and collaboration items: LEGO and other Nintendo properties like The Legend of Zelda and Splatoon have been announced,
• an expansion of Luna’s Dream World: a new creative mode area where players can create the island of their dreams without affecting their original island.

For the Switch 2 Edition, besides getting a visual boost, it will also receive these updates that make use of the Switch 2 additional hardware:

• Joy-Con 2 mouse controls: move decorations and create custom artwork using a mouse cursor,
• improved social features: microphone and GameChat support,
• number of visiting villagers increased: a maximum of 12 players allowed if all players own the Switch 2 version.

While some might be disappointed that Nintendo didn’t announce a new entry into the Animal Crossing franchise, the large fanbase of players that purchased the game during the pandemic will have a new update to look forward to as they wait for the announcement of a new entry.