Animal Crossing: New Horizons Won’t Support Cloud Saves, But There’s a Catch

A whole bunch of new information was revealed today as part of Nintendo’s Animal Crossing: New Horizons Direct. Most of these changes are iterative or small, comparatively, and don’t deserve too much scrutiny just yet. As part of said Nintendo Direct, however, it was also announced that the latest and greatest Animal Crossing video game will not support Nintendo Switch Online cloud saves. But there’s one small catch.

When Nintendo revealed that it wouldn’t support cloud saves, it followed up by noting that some kind of service, available at an unspecified date after launch, will allow players to recover backed up save data from Nintendo’s servers in the case of a lost or defective console. This seems like it means that Nintendo itself will have some sort of access to those saves, but won’t provide it on the regular to folks. And it’s the fine print that’s even more notable, as it states the following: “Nintendo Switch Online members can only have save data recovered one time due to loss or damage of system.”

All said, this seems like a fairly archaic system in this day and age, but it also lines up with how Nintendo has traditionally handled online functionality in the past. Which is to say, not particularly well. Add to this the fact that each console can have one island only, regardless of the number of players or game carts, and there’s plenty to be both excited and frustrated about with the newest Animal Crossing.

You can check out the new Nintendo Direct, in full, below for yourself:

What did you think of the Animal Crossing: New Horizons Direct? Are you excited to play when the game releases in March? Let us know in the comments, or hit me up directly on Twitter at @rollinbishop to talk all things gaming!

Here’s how Nintendo describes Animal Crossing: New Horizons over on its official website:

“If the hustle and bustle of modern life’s got you down, Tom Nook has a new business venture up his sleeve that he knows you’ll adore: the Nook Inc. Deserted Island Getaway Package! Sure, you’ve crossed paths with colorful characters near and far. Had a grand time as one of the city folk. May’ve even turned over a new leaf and dedicated yourself to public service! But deep down, isn’t there a part of you that longs for…freedom? Then perhaps a long walk on the beach of a deserted island, where a rich wealth of untouched nature awaits, is just what the doctor ordered!

“Peaceful creativity and charm await as you roll up your sleeves and make your new life whatever you want it to be. Collect resources and craft everything from creature comforts to handy tools. Embrace your green thumb as you interact with flowers and trees in new ways. Set up a homestead where the rules of what goes indoors and out no longer apply. Make friends with new arrivals, enjoy the seasons, pole-vault across rivers as you explore, and more!”

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is set to officially launch for the Nintendo Switch on March 20th. You can check out all of our previous coverage of the Animal Crossing franchise right here.