Animal Crossing: New Horizons Gets Final Major Free Update And Paid Expansion Next Month

Nintendo’s Animal Crossing Direct unveiled the final major free update for Animal Crossing: New Horizons and announced a paid expansion for the hit game.

The upcoming version 2.0 update will launch on November 5th and includes an abundance of content and improvements, including much of New Horizons’ missing content that was present in previous games.

As Nintendo hinted, the gigantic update sees the return of The Roost and barista Brewster as part of the Museum. Although you cannot work at The Roost like in Animal Crossing: New Leaf, you can enjoy a hot cup of coffee, bump into villagers and NPCs, and summon NPCs via Amiibo figurines and cards.

Joining Brewster is Kapp’n, who can be found at the dock of your island. For 1,000 Nook Miles, Kapp’n will whisk you away to a mysterious island with randomised layouts, weather, time, and seasons.

Also in the update, Harv’s Island has been expanded to form a rural plaza where you can donate Bells to help some of the game’s vendors set up permanent shops. Some of the vendors shown in the trailer include Harriet the hairdresser, Katrina the fortune teller, Redd, former Animal Crossing Mayor Tortimer, Saharah, Leif, and Reese and Cyrus who can customise additional furniture.

Other additions with the 2.0 update include the reintroduction of Gyroids that can be found whole or as fragments that need watering, as well as permanent ladders, and the reintroduction of the aerobics activity from the original Animal Crossing.

If that’s not enough, the update allows you to collect food recipes and grow and cook vegetables, adds several new house customisation options, and it includes 12 new KK Slider songs, 11 new hairstyles, 11 new reactions, expanded home storage, the new Island Life tips Nook Phone app that offers gameplay hints, and dozens of new Nook Miles items.

The new update also reintroduces the ordinances from Animal Crossing: New Leaf, including the Beautiful Island, Bell Boom, Early Bird, and Night Owl ordinances. A portable storage shed can be placed on your island that offers direct access to your home’s storage, and a kiosk can be placed outside to deposit or withdraw Bells.

Inside your home, the storage can be expanded to up to 5,000 items, and a Pro Decoration License can be purchased, allowing you to hang lightning and ceiling decorations, and set accent walls.

Nintendo Announces Happy Home Paradise Expansion

Alongside unveiling the 2.0 update, Nintendo also announced the Animal Crossing: New Horizons Happy Home Paradise paid expansion, which can be purchased for £22.49/$24.99/€24.99.

The expansion unlocks a series of new islands where you will work with Lottie and other NPCs to create a vacation resort for villagers. The expansion sees you build holiday homes for villagers as well as additional customisable buildings, like schools, restaurants, and more.

To build custom holiday homes, you’ll need to speak with clients and take note of their needs, then select an island, and customise every aspect of their home, including the building’s exterior and interior, and all items.

The islands available with the paid expansion have varying biomes, perfect for different villagers. Completing holiday homes will reward you with a new currency known as Poki, which can be exchanged on the island for rare items.

Progressing through the expansion unlocks new building mechanics, including pillars, counters, lighting effects, and partition walls, all of which can be used in your own home once unlocked. Later on, you’ll also be able to remodel your residents’ homes.

The brand new update and paid expansion were announced during today’s Animal Crossing: New Horizons Direct. Both the new update and expansion will launch on November 5th.