Animal Crossing: New Horizons has added a new free gift for all players as part of a surprise update that commemorates the 25th anniversary of the series.
Bringing the original Animal Crossing to the GameCube was likely seen as a risk by Nintendo, given that the cozy sim genre was all but nonexistent at the time. However, Animal Crossing would go on to be one of the company’s biggest franchises, with New Horizons becoming the second best-selling game on Switch. Now, Nintendo is celebrating the series with a free DLC gift.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons Patch Adds 25th Anniversary Gift
Image via Nintendo
The patch notes for Animal Crossing: New Horizons on the official Nintendo website have confirmed that the game is sending a gift to all players. Those who check their mailbox will be able to claim a giant Leaf Statue, which is the symbol of the series. The brand-new items can be used to decorate towns and is available to download now.
This new Leaf Statue item is available as part of the 3.0.2 update, which is primarily focused on fixing bugs with the game. Animal Crossing: New Horizons received a major content update alongside its Nintendo Switch 2 port, so glitches have been introduced with these new features.
While the latest content update was a welcome surprise for Animal Crossing fans, many have questions about the future of the series. Nintendo has yet to announce the next entry in the Animal Crossing series, and it’s not clear when the beloved franchise will receive a Switch 2 entry.
When Will the Next Animal Crossing Game Arrive On Nintendo Switch 2?
Animal Crossing New Horizons – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition PeopleImage via Nintendo
Animal Crossing: New Horizons has a dedicated Nintendo Switch 2 update, but fans are wondering what’s in store for the series’ future. Chances arethe Nintendo Switch 2 will receive a new Animal Crossing game, but it won’t arrive for a few moreyears, assuming Nintendo doesn’t want to skip the current generation.
That said, Animal Crossing: New Horizons was a massive hit, so the chances of a new entry on the Nintendo Switch 2 are high. The bigger question is whether older Animal Crossing games will be available on the Nintendo Switch 2, since the series debuted on the GameCube, a system that now has titles on current hardware via a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pass subscription.
It would have made a lot of sense to put Animal Crossing on the service as part of the series’ 25th anniversary celebrations. Of course, this is Nintendo, and the company could just as easily shadow-drop it on a random Tuesday night, rather than make a big deal out of it. In the meantime, this Leaf statue is the perfect opportunity for players to redecorate their islands.