Another month, another Animal Crossing update. Except this one is hefty and actually includes a few things we actually wanted. It’s a miracle!
This update went live at 6 p.m. PST / 9 p.m. EST, so go update your game now! (Or maybe read about the goodies you can expect first.)
While certain quality-of-life updates have yet to make an appearance (imagine being able to buy multiple pairs of socks at Able Sisters at once, just imagine), the game continues to see continuous updates, with the newest spreading joyous shockwaves across the community. Announced on Isabelle’s Twitter account, the patch celebrating 1 year of Animal Crossing is live today, March 18.
Turning on the game after the update will see the 1st Anniversary Cake item in your mailbox, while some new spring seasonal items will be available through the in-game Nook Shopping app. April Fool’s Day is right around the corner, so what’s better than whoopee cushions to prank your villagers? (Farts? In my Animal Crossing? It’s more likely than you’d think.) Would we rather have less repetitive menus or a bulk-crafting option? Sure! But the pfffrrrp sound is also good. Thank you, Nintendo.
For those who may have missed their senior prom due to lockdowns (or those who had such a blast the first time, they want to relive it) prom-themed items will also be available the entire month of April, from dresses and sashes to kitschy wallpaper. We’d actually prefer this to the real thing, though a punch bowl may be a worthy addition in a future update. Maybe next year.
Have you been praying each day that Zipper and his swarm of Easter eggs won’t be making an encore appearance in 2021? Too bad! Between 28 March and 4 April, you can look forward to literally just eggs everywhere. Is that the fish I need? No, dummy, it’s an egg. Did that egg just fall out of a tree? I’d rather it be a wasp! (Admittedly, some cool new items will be on sale at Nook’s Cranny each day, so that’s reason enough to log on.) The cherry blossoms will also be falling again at the beginning of April, which is a reason to celebrate.
The Sanrio villagers will soon be available through Amiibo Cards, releasing 26 March. If you already have these cards from past releases, you’ll be able to invite your new villagers NOW, along with all of their wonderful themed furniture and goodies.
Tree Planting Day, known as Singmogil in South Korea, will be celebrated in Animal Crossing worldwide between 1-10 April, and will see a new Forsythia item added to our catalogues. Nature Day blows in between 15-22 April, giving us a fancy new globe item for our character’s study. It seems that the latter won’t have a complete event like last year, but we’ll take new items any day.
Instantly, the main focus of Isabelle’s Twitter announcement was the miracle addition of fifty additional custom design slots in both Normal and Pro modes. That means more spaces for paths and more room for adorable themed outfits. This would have been enough for most of us, who have struggled with finding enough room for both The Path and the million flower designs we want to sprinkle all over our island getaway.
Sick of going to Able Sisters to open the Custom Designs Portal? You’re now able to open it from your NookPhone. Groundbreaking.
You can now add custom designs to umbrellas, small flags, Japanese uchiwa fans and photo stands with the Custom Design Pro Editor +, available for only 2,000 Nook Miles. What a steal!
A new feature utilizing the Nintendo Switch Online app is also coming soon, and while details are still relatively scarce, players will be able to earn Nook Points by opening the Animal Crossing portion of the app, with certain prizes being exclusive to this method. This announcement is also the first time we’ve seen the fortune-teller character Katrina make an appearance in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. We hope she’ll actually feature in the gameplay, though we’re keeping our hopes tempered.
Finally (as if that wasn’t enough): for those who have an island they’d like to show off, a new Island Tour Creator feature is swallowing players to create custom screenshots and videos to create posters and trailers for your island! Using this, you can share your favorite spots with prospective visitors, perfect for sharing on the web.
With all these improvements and goodies, it’s a great time to jump back into the Animal Crossing craze. Keep an eye out for the upcoming Build-A-Bear collaboration as well. Hopefully, a Tom Nook plush won’t come with a 10-year loan.