Animal Crossing: New Horizons Is Getting a Massive Free Update With New Islands & More

Ever since the Switch 2 was announced, Animal Crossing fans have been waiting for a big announcement. Everyone is expecting the next Animal Crossing game to be revealed any day now, but so far, it remains little more than a rumor. But while a brand-new game still hasn’t been revealed, Animal Crossing fans did finally get something new to look forward to… but not for a while.

With a new announcement trailer released on October 30th, Nintendo has confirmed a shiny new Switch 2 edition of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Along with this enhanced re-release, the game will get a free update for everyone. That’s the good news. The bad news is, the Switch 2 edition and the free Animal Crossing: New Horizons update won’t be released until January 15th, 2026. But even if there’s a while to wait, let’s dig into what Animal Crossing fans can expect from the new versions of New Horizons.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons Switch 2 Edition Adds Microphone Integration & More

Like many of Nintendo’s biggest games, Animal Crossing: New Horizons is getting a Switch 2 upgrade. This new enhanced edition of the game will bring in the following improvements:

• Improved graphics from enhanced resolution, making characters and scenery look sharper
• Joy-Con 2 mouse control integration, giving you more control over decorating and custom designs
• New Megaphone feature using the Switch 2 microphone, which lets you call out for specific Villagers
• Expanded online features allowing up to 12 players in online mode (if everyone is on Switch 2)
• Game Chat integration for Animal Crossing: New Horizons

As far as Switch 2 editions go, this is one of the longer lists of improvements from the new version. This new edition will release on January 15th, 2026. Of course, there will be an upgrade add-on for those who already have Animal Crossing: New Horizons on Switch. The new Switch 2 edition will cost $64.99 to buy the full game, and the upgrade pack add-on for the Switch edition will be $4.99.

What’s Coming in the Animal Crossing: New Horizons Free Version 3.0 Update

Whether you plan to upgrade to the Switch 2 edition or not, January 15th, 2026, will also bring in a big free update for all New Horizons players. This Version 3.0 update will add some new content for all Animal Crossing fans to enjoy while waiting for Nintendo to finally announce the next game already. Here’s what to look forward to with this massive free update for Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

Resort Hotel

A new resort hotel facility on the pier, run by Kapp’n. Players will help out by decorating guest rooms to keep visitors happy by meeting certain theme requests. For those who’ve played Hello Kitty: Island Adventure, this will look pretty familiar. You’ll earn tickets that you can exchange in the hotel shop to get special new items, outfits, and decorations. Scanning specific amiibo will let you invite specific guests to the hotel, as well.

Max Storage Increase

The maximum storage limit is going up from 5000 to 9000, letting players collect even more items. This will be doled out in two separate upgrades, purchased from Tom Nook. The first will bring storage up to 7000, and the second will take you to the new 9000 cap. Plant items can now also be kept in storage, including shrubs and flowers.

Resetti’s Cleanup Service

Automatically tidy specific areas, from custom-selected spaces, just the beach, or your entire island. This lets you reset decorations in areas, returning your items to your storage to be reused.

Luna’s Dream World Islands

Use the new deep slumber action to enter a special Dream World. Here, you can decorate your sleep island with items from your inventory. This space can be fully terraformed and custom-crafted with bridges, inclines, and more. You can even set the time of day and weather. And yes, you can invite island residents to visit you on your dream island or meet up with friends to show off your new designs. In total, you can create 3 different ones, letting you design to your heart’s content.

New Nintendo & LEGO Collab Content

In true Animal Crossing tradition, we are getting some new collab items to buy. There are new Nintendo-themed items, including a Nintendo Switch 2 console, along with classic ones like the NES and Game Boy. NSO members will be able to use these in-game consoles to actually play one classic game from each system, directly in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

New LEGO items will also be arriving in the shop, giving you more fun decoration items. Some amiiibo collabs are also headed our way, including The Legend of Zelda and Splatoon collab items. You can even invite a few Legend of Zelda characters to your island.

Although this isn’t the new Animal Crossing game announcement fans were hoping for, this update should make New Horizons feel pretty fresh. With so much new content, players can get many more hours out of New Horizons without having to start a new save. That should do nicely to tide us over until the new game finally arrives.

Are you excited about this new free Animal Crossing update? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

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