Nintendo has announced that Animal Crossing: New Horizons is getting a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, along with brand-new content for both the Switch and Switch 2.
This news comes nearly five years after Nintendo released the last content update for Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Now, Version 3.0 is adding a brand-new resort hotel early next year.
Kapp’n’s family is finally coming to the game, opening a hotel on the island’s pier. Players are tasked with decorating rooms to match various themes, similar to the Happy Home Paradise DLC. Guests will come and go, and players can receive tickets that they can trade for exclusive items in the hotel itself.
These guests can walk around the island, enjoying the sights that players have created.
Players can also dress up mannequins in the resort to help guests decide what to wear, helping tourists blend in with an island’s theme or just offering fun outfit choices for them. Other players visiting the island can also dress up in these outfits.
At the hotel, players can use Amiibo cards to invite islanders to stay. Of course, Tom Nook will also have a hand in things, giving players a chance to earn tickets by submitting special DIY projects. Kapp’n will take these to increase the island’s brand recognition.
The update has several quality-of-life changes, too. The maximum storage size has been increased from 5,000 to 9,000, and local flora can be added to storage, as well.
Resetti, one of the Animal Crossing characters from previous games, is also coming to Animal Crossing: New Horizons with the update. He’ll be around to help players clean up their island, and players can choose different areas that Resetti can take care of. He can pick up items, flora, and even custom designs on the ground.
Another new feature is Slumber Time, taking players to Luna’s New Dream World. This takes players to Slumber Island, which is like a Creative Mode for players. They’ll have access to every furniture item they’ve obtained, terraforming features, and even choose the size of the island. Villagers can also be brought over to see the new creation.
Players can invite their friends to work together, too. For the first time, players’ friends can terraform and have full creative control over their friends’ Slumber Islands.
The new update for Animal Crossing: New Horizons also includes several new collaborations. By increasing their island’s brand recognition, players will get access to special Nintendo products from the island’s shop.
These items include some older Nintendo consoles, and players with a Nintendo Switch Online subscription can play select titles from these older systems. This was actually a feature that existed in older Animal Crossing games, but this is the first time it’s coming to New Horizons.
Other collaborations include Lego items, and furniture and fashion items from The Legend of Zelda series. This will include new villagers to invite, such as Tulin and Mineru. Splatoon is also getting the same treatment, with new villagers Cece and Viché coming to the island.
The Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of Animal Crossing: New Horizons brings better graphics and mouse controls using the Joy-Con 2. There’s also a new megaphone feature to help players locate their villagers, as well as 12-player sessions for those with the Switch 2 edition of the game.
There’s a video that breaks down and shows off everything coming with both the free content update and the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. Players can watch it below:
Both the free Version 3.0 content update and the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of Animal Crossing: New Horizons is set to release on January 15, 2026.
