By 
Nintendo announced that it will release a free update for every version of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, as well as a specific $4.99 Switch 2 Edition upgrade that will add things like mouse controls and 12-player multiplayer. Everything will appear on January 15, 2026. A $64.99 digital and physical Switch 2 version will appear that day too.
First, the free update for Animal Crossing: New Horizons will add a new building, a new reset option, shared Slumber Islands to play with others, and new collaborations with extra villagers. The Resort Hotel is tied to Kapp’n’s family and features new tasks, clothes, and furniture. If we decorate rooms for guests to lure in visitors, we can earn tickets to spend on new cosmetics. The Slumber Island lets us have up to three extra islands online. Those can be worked on with other people. We can then work together to maintain them and build up its population. The confirmed new collaboration villagers are Tulin and Mineru, and there will be Nintendo and Lego items. We don’t know if the 3DS-exclusive amiibo villagers and items tied to The Legend of Zelda, such as the villagers, Epona, Ganon, Inkwell, Medli, and W. Link, will all be back. We do know Cece and Viche, who are based on the Squid Sisters, will return.
The Switch 2 exclusive Animal Crossing: New Horizons features all focus on new technologies only available via that console. If you own the camera, you can see the faces of folks also playing. If you don’t, you can still now have up to 12 people playing together in one multiplayer session. The built-in mic can be used for talking while playing over GameChat, though you can also use it to call out to your Villagers to find them. You can use the mouse to decorate or create Custom Designs. Finally, there’s a resolution upgrade that bumps things up to 4K.
Here’s the full trailer showing off all the additions that are on the way:
It’s been quite some time since Nintendo shared any Animal Crossing updates. We’d really only seen new merchandise in 2025.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is available on the Switch, and the paid Switch 2 Edition upgrade and free update for both versions of the game will debut on January 15, 2026.
