Animal Crossing: New Horizons has been experiencing a content drought for the past few months, but starting July 29, Nintendo has promised to open the floodgates with new, free content for the hit game.
In a series of tweets, Nintendo announced that a free update for Animal Crossing: New Horizons will arrive this week, and it won't be the last:
"Please ensure you have updated to the latest version to enjoy the upcoming weekly Fireworks shows and new seasonal items. In addition to these updates, more free content for Animal Crossing: New Horizons is currently in development for later this year. More information will be shared in the future, so please stay tuned. Thank you for your support and patience.”
The update coming this Thursday will be a smaller one that adds a few themed seasonal items and brings back fireworks. However, the assurance from the company that more content is in development is likely the bigger takeaway for fans who have been worried about the lack of substantial updates in recent months.
After launching in March 2020, Animal Crossing: New Horizons has sold over 32 million units globally. The game caught on as a soothing distraction for many people as they were stuck at home during the height of the pandemic.
Immediately following its release, the game received robust support with new content updates throughout 2020 bringing new features such as swimming and weddings to the game. The game also received an update with Mario and Hello Kitty-related content.
But updates have been scaled down and more spaced apart so far in 2021, with the last small update coming around three months ago. This has left some fans frustrated about the long-term prospects of the game and the lack of communication from Nintendo.
It remains to be seen if the new updates slated for later this year can satisfy Animal Crossing: New Horizon’s massive and dedicated fanbase.