New Leak Suggests Next Animal Crossing Game May Be Revealed Soon

Few games have been as popular on the original Nintendo Switch as Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The beloved cozy game has a massive fan base. That’s why it was pretty surprising when the Switch 2 launched without even a hint about a new Animal Crossing game. Though the console is selling well, a contingent of gamers are holding out for a new Animal Crossing before snagging a Switch 2. Now, a new rumor suggests we might finally be about to hear something on the next Animal Crossing game.

The intel comes from Nintendo YouTuber Beatemups, aka Wood Hawker, on a recent episode of the Nontendo Podcast. Hawker is somewhat of a controversial figure and isn’t known for consistently leaking new intel. Even so, he claims to have access to information suggesting there will be a Nintendo Direct in July. He states that he knows not only that there will be a Direct, but some of its alleged contents. Hawker says he can’t reveal where he got this info, which makes it a bit hard to say just how likely it is to be accurate. As such, this is largely a rumor, but nevertheless could be big news for Animal Crossing fans if true.

After saying that there will be a Nintendo Direct next month, Hawker goes on to list several games that “we’re gonna see.” The list includes several big, but not too surprising, games that will allegedly be revealed for the Switch 2. According to his unnamed source, the Direct could include details on Metaphor: Refantazio, Witcher 3, and Death Stranding: Director’s Cut getting Switch 2 ports. He also implies a release date for Metroid Prime 4, which recently had another leak involving some posters that imply an imminent shadow drop.

Reportedly, the Direct will also include a shadow drop for Pokemon Colosseum coming to the Switch 2’s GameCube library, among other titles he doesn’t name. But in addition to ports, Hawker claims Nintendo is finally going to address the Animal Crossing elephant in the room.

Nintendo YouTuber Claims New Animal Crossing Teaser Coming Soon

The big detail for Animal Crossing fans is that Hawker claims to have heard that the rumored July Nintendo Switch 2 Direct will include a teaser for a new Animal Crossing game.

Specifically, Hawker claims the very end of the Direct will feature Isabelle on a teaser card about a new Animal Crossing game. He even suggests that it will include a 2026 release window for the game. If that’s true, it will be a big moment for Animal Crossing fans, who’ve been waiting for a new game to be announced from the moment the Switch 2 was revealed.

As far as leaks go, this one is a bit dubious. Though previous leaks have sometimes accurately predicted the date of a Nintendo Direct, full lists of games like this have rarely, if ever, proved accurate. So, it’s likely that not everything Hawker hints at will actually be included in a Direct, if we do have one next month.

However, it wouldn’t be surprising to get a tease for a new Animal Crossing game. As one of Nintendo’s biggest properties on the previous Switch console, the company is almost certainly planning a follow-up to Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Whether we’re actually going to finally hear about it in July remains to be seen. For now, no Nintendo Direct has been officially announced for July, though there will be a Pokemon Presents on July 22nd.