Animal Crossing 3.0 Update - Release Date, New Villagers, Island Features, & Price

Animal Crossing New Horizons 3.0 update trailer showing a blue haired player character walking into the new hotel

Published 6 days ago

Carrie is a Senior Writer at ScreenRant who previously managed Geek to Geek Media and wrote for SwitchRPG. She is particularly knowledgeable when it comes to WoW, Diablo, and cozy games. She has a passion for supporting the indies and always enjoys sharing her passions with others through her writing.

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It's been a few years since the last major update was made toAnimal Crossing: New Horizons, at which time Nintendo said there wouldn't be any additional content added to the game. Thankfully, they were wrong, and now players will get to experience a fresh take on their island getaway packages with a massive free update 3.0, as well as a new Switch 2 edition to the game which will be available for purchase.

Of course, many of us have been anxiously awaiting anynews about a newAnimal Crossing game to launch now that the Switch 2 is out in the world, but this update doesn't mean that it won't still happen. Yet, in the meantime,we will all get to enjoy new experiences with our longtime virtual friends and villagers once the update arrives. That really isn't too bad a treat to tide us over until a more substantial announcement is made.

When Animal Crossing 3.0 And The Switch 2 Edition Will Be Released

Both Are Arriving In January 2026

Animal crossing new horizons character standing with a shovel and a hard hat in an empty location

Nintendo surprised us all when it suddenly dropped a 12-minute trailer on a random Thursday morning to announce not only a Switch 2 edition of the game, but the massive 3.0 update that will be free for everyone. This wonderful announcement is even better when you take into account that this update isn't scheduled too far off, so we don't even have to wait very long for it.

Both theNintendo Switch 2 Edition ofAnimal Crossing: New Horizons and the update to Version 3.0will be released on January 15, 2026. Upon release, the 3.0 update will automatically be installed to any copy ofACNH that is connected to the internet.

TheNintendo Switch 2 Edition is already available for preorder fromNintendo, where you can either purchase the full Switch 2 copy of the game or, if you already have the Switch 1 version, you can pay a smaller fee to upgrade your copy of the game to the Switch 2 edition.

New Villagers Available With The 3.0 Update To ACNH

And Which Amiibo Will Unlock Which Zelda Or Splatoon Character

Mineru in the Animal Crossing New Horizons 3.0 Update

Much of the content being added toACNH will be part of the free 3.0 update to the game and does not require a Switch 2 to enjoy. However, in the case of new villagers coming as crossover collaborations withThe Legend of Zelda andSplatoon,players will need to own copies of some of the applicable Amiibos.

The entire sets of themed collaboration items, including thefurniture and clothing items, will be unlocked using any of the Amiibo options for that collaboration.

New Villager	Amiibo That Can Unlock Them
Tulin	Link, Toon Link, Young Link, Link (Majora's Mask), Link (Skyward Sword), Toon Link (The Wind Waker), Zelda (The Wind Waker), Link (Archer), Bokoblin, Daruk, Revali, Zelda and Loftwing, Link (Tears of the Kingdom), Ganondorf (Tears of the Kingdom), Yunbo, Tulin
Mineru	Zelda, Sheik, Ganondorf, Wolf Link, Link (Ocarina of Time), Link (Twilight Princess), Link (The Legend of Zelda 8-bit), Link (Rider), Guardian, Zelda (Breath of the Wild), Urbosa, Mipha, Link (Link's Awakening), Zelda (Tears of the Kingdom), Sidon, Riju, Mineru
Viché	Inkling, Inkling Girl, Inkling Boy, Inkling Squid, Marie, Inkling Girl (lime green), Inkling Boy (purple), Inkling Squid (orange), Inkling Girl (neon pink), Inkling Boy (neon green), Inkling Squid (neon purple), Pearl, Inkling (yellow), Frye, Big Man, Marie (Alterna), Pearl (Side Order), Marina (Side Order)
Cece	Callie, Marina, Octoling Girl, Octoling Boy, Octoling Octopus, Octoling (blue), Smallfry, Shiver, Big Man, Callie (Alterna)

In addition to these new villager options, Resetti will show up to help us with cleaning our islands up andKapp'n is bringing his whole family to help run the new resort hotel. His wife, Leilani, will be running the front desk, Grams is selling a variety of items, and even thelittle daughter Leila might surprise us with some interactions.

Hotel And Other Island Features Coming With The Free Update

Luna's Dream World, Hotel Rooms To Decorate, New Items, And More

Punchy at the hotel in Animal Crossing New Horizons 3.0 Update

There are a lot of things coming with this update.The most obvious is the resort hotel opening on the pier. Here, we will be able to decorate guest rooms and more, and have visitors come stay on the island. It will also be the means of getting new quests to earn a special currency for the souvenir shop run by Grams. This souvenir shop includes things like furniture and clothing that we can then take to other areas of the island.

Luna is expanding her operations with this update as well,adding Slumber Islands to the game. As long as you have an active Nintendo Switch Online membership, you can design and save up to three islands separate from your home location. These islands can have friends come visit where they can even help decorate and build. Plus, these locations can be made from three different-sized templates.

Playing Dr Mario Inside Animal Crossing New Horizons

Some of the other features coming with this free 3.0 update include:

Resetti's Clean-up Service to help tidy your island quickly.
Upgraded home storage to hold 9,000 items, including trees, shrubs, and flowers.
Bulk crafting and crafting using items held in storage.
Numerous new decorations, furniture, clothing, and other items.
Easier movement when terraforming or building fences.
Nintendo items within-game minigames for those with Nintendo Switch Online memberships
- Classic titles includeIce Climber,Clu Clu Land,Dr. Mario,Panel de Pon, andF-Zero.
Mannequins in the hotel can be dressed in custom outfits that human players, villagers, and visitors to the island can borrow and wear.

LEGO is also having a collaboration withAnimal Crossing for this update, with LEGO furniture, clothing, and items added to the game that are so exciting for any of us who love LEGO in real life too.

Changes Coming With The Switch 2 Edition Of ACNH

Improved Graphics, Multiplayer Options, And More

Updated graphics for the nintendo switch 2 edition of animal crossing new horizons

The same day as the 3.0 Version update arrives, players who have a Nintendo Switch 2 can also upgrade their games to have enhancements specifically for the newer console.

Improved resolution to 4K when in TV mode, as long as you have a compatible display. Frame rates capped at 30 fps.
Mouse controls to make decorating, creating Custom Designs, and even making messages on the bulletin board much easier.
The microphone built into the Nintendo Switch 2 can operate the in-game megaphone so you can call out residents' names to have them respond and point you in the direction they are in.
Multiplayer sessions can include up to 12 players online, as long as everyone playing is using the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition ofACNH.
While playing multiplayer, you can use CameraPlay to connect a compatible USB camera and have your face appear above your character in the game. Hopefully, your friends will do the same.

These improvements are each specifically designed to take advantage of theunique capabilities of the Switch 2, which the original Switch doesn't have.

And Finally, The Price... Thankfully, Most Of It Is Free

Update 3.0 Will Be Free For Everyone Who Has ACNH

The player standing with a bag of bells after having dug it out of the ground in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

As I've mentioned throughout the article, the best news is that the majority of this content is all coming in theVersion 3.0 Update toACNH, which is completely free. As long as you already ownNew Horizons and your Switch (or Switch 2) is connected to the internet, you will get all these goodies added to your game on January 15, 2026, without having to pay anything.

There is a cost for the Switch 2 Edition ofAnimal Crossing: New Horizons, however.The full Switch 2 Edition game costs $64.99 USD, or if you already have the original version of the game, you can purchase an upgrade pack for $4.99.

For those of us who have been playingAnimal Crossing: New Horizons since 2020, paying $5 for this much new content is not bad. Especially considering how many hours of enjoyment I have already gotten out of this game.