Copyright Polygon
In 2021, Nintendo told Animal Crossing: New Horizons players that the 2.0 update was the last major content addition they were ever going to get. Thankfully, this turned out to be untrue, as there are two new updates headed for the game early next year. Both an enhanced Nintendo Switch 2 Edition and 3.0 update will be arriving on Jan. 15, 2026. The 3.0 update is free for all players, and the Switch 2 upgrade will retail $4.99 for players who already own the original game. With a run time of over 12 minutes, the announcement video was absolutely packed with information, so much so that it was hard to keep up. I've been a fan of the Animal Crossing series since I was 8 years old, and I did what any hardcore fan would do: watched the trailer three times while taking copious notes. I've done the nitty-gritty so you don't have to; here's everything in the Animal Crossing: New Horizons 3.0 and Nintendo Switch 2 updates that you should care about. Animal Crossing is taking advantage of Switch 2 hardware The Switch 2 upgrade for New Horizons gives the game a big visual makeover, improving resolution and even offering 4K resolution when the game is in TV mode. One thing that the presentation didn't mention was fixing pop-in, though players have already noticed some improvement here, even pre-update, when running the game on a Switch 2. Nintendo is also continuing to make the most of its new Joy-Con 2 mouse controls, and players will be able to use them while decorating. This is one of my favorite applications for mouse controls yet — it can sometimes be hard to be exact with the current controls, and soon it's going to feel just like I'm decorating in The Sims 4. Players can also use the mouse controls in the custom designer, which will no doubt inspire a new renaissance of clever designs made with a more precise apparatus. The new megaphone item is a small but undeniably useful addition, which utilizes the Switch 2's microphone to locate villagers. It doesn't happen a lot, but sometimes there is an islander that just can't be found when you need them. Plus, I just think it will be fun to shout, "Bob, where the hell are you?!" into my microphone. New Horizons online capabilities are expanding on Switch 2 Get ready to expand your New Horizons social circle, as the maximum capacity for visiting islanders is being bumped from eight to 12. I think this is one of the best uses of the Switch 2's GameChat yet. My friends and I were essentially doing something similar in the past, visiting each other's islands while chatting over Zoom, and now it's an official feature. This change could also have an interesting impact on players who utilize things like Nookazon or open up their islands when they have high turnip prices. More visitors means more turnover, making this upgrade not only good for big groups of friends, but the Animal Crossing: New Horizons economy. The new resort hotel on the pier is the most detailed addition in the 3.0 update, functioning very similarly to the Happy Home Paradise DLC. It's run by Kapp'n and his family, marking his relatives' return as interactive NPCs. Players will take on the role of decorator for this new establishment, designing rooms based on themes to suit different guests. Just like on Tortimer Island, Gram is there to exchange non-Bell currency — in this case, Hotel Tickets — for special items. While some of these, like shirts and mugs, are related to the hotel, the trailer teased a host of other items, including full furniture sets. Long-time fans can rejoice at the fact that the Kiddie set has returned, along with new sets like Tubular and Artful. Hotel Tickets can be earned in a few different ways. Players get some from when guests stay in the hotel, and they can also be acquired by completing crafting orders for Tom Nook. These orders are then delivered by Kapp'n, helping spread the word about the seaside lodging. The trailer doesn't say how much this directly correlates with how many guests the hotel gets, but they can also be brought in through amiibo cards. Players can also set special resort outfits to encourage their guests to dress to a theme or the season. These are the examples the trailer gives, anyway — most players I know will be using it to make guests into fashion atrocities. AC:NH 3.0 is adding huge quality of life changes During the trailer segment about Tom Nook's crafting orders, I noticed one of the most important additions to ever come out of an update: Batch crafting is here. This is a huge quality of life improvement that players have been asking for since release (along with pulling from storage to craft, but we'll take what we can get). It's not technically specified whether this is only for Nook projects or all crafting, but it's a feature that would be silly to gatekeep. Storage is getting two new expansions, first to 7,000, then to 9,000 items, and trees, shrubs, and flowers are now allowed in. This is great news for seasonal decorators and players who are constantly evolving their island, saving them from having to waste inventory space with trees they're keeping "just in case." I don't know a single soul who used the Resetti Rescue Service feature in New Horizons, but the mole will actually be useful in the 3.0 update. He can now "reset" the entire island, the beach, or an area chosen by the player, making it a blank slate free of furniture and foliage in just a few seconds. He can also clean up flowers and custom designs, which is great for path enthusiasts and those who get a bit too caught up in flower hybrids. The things that Resetti tidies are moved to player storage, and players are given the option to keep or dispose of flowers. Luna's Dream World adds collaborative decorating to AC:NH Sleep just got a lot more fun in New Horizons, with the existing Dream Addresses concept being iterated upon with a new Slumber Island feature. With Luna as your guide, players can travel to a completely new island — with the ability to choose its size and layout beforehand — to decorate however they please. Players can pull items from their catalog endlessly, place plants and customize their growth stage, add bridges and inclines, and terraform to their heart's content. It's essentially like Harvey's Photopia, but an entire island. It's a fantastic outlet for trying out experimental concepts without changing your island. If I decided to make a horrifying island for Halloween next year, for example, I could now use Slumber Island instead of tearing up my home turf. These options aren't just available to the player, either — visitors can come to Slumber Islands too, and contribute just as much to its aesthetic. There are three different Slumber Island save slots to play around with, making an already expansive decorating opportunity even bigger. AC:NH is collaborating with Lego, Splatoon, and more Retro Nintendo items like the Ultra Hand, Famicom, and NES will be available for purchase at the hotel's souvenir shop, with more items appearing as players raise their island's brand recognition. New Horizons is also bringing back one of my favorite features from the GameCube release: Playable games on each system. There's only one game tied to each system, and it requires a Nintendo Switch Online membership to use, but it's still a returning feature I'm rejoicing about. There are also several brand collaborations coming to the game. Many delightful new Lego items, including wallpaper and clothing, will be available through Nook Shopping. Legend of Zelda items can be obtained by activating certain amiibo, and Animal Crossing-ified versions of Tulin and Mineru can also visit and inhabit player islands. Squirrels Cece and Viché, who cosplay as Callie and Marie from the Splatoon series, can also take up residence, and items from the franchise will appear on Nook Shopping. Both the Animal Crossing: New Horizons — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition and the game's version 3.0 update launch on Jan. 15, 2026.
