Animal Crossing Can Go in a Surprising Direction with One Switch 2 Feature

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home January 18, 2025 2 Views 8 Min Read
Animal Crossing Can Go in a Surprising Direction with One Switch 2 Feature

The Animal Crossing franchise has become one of the biggest in Nintendo’s impressive catalog of IPs. Ever since the franchise’s expansion to America in 2002 with the eponymous GameCube entry, it feels like Animal Crossing just gets bigger and bigger with each subsequent game. Its most recent entry, 2020’s Animal Crossing: New Horizons, became a huge cultural phenomenon and proved the franchise’s success by becoming one of the highest-selling games of all time.

With the recent announcement of Nintendo’s next console, the Nintendo Switch 2, Animal Crossing fans will be waiting with bated breath to see where the franchise goes on this new platform. After all, it has been almost five years since New Horizons launched, which is a long enough gap for a new game to be on the way. Still, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Nintendo go in an entirely different direction with the franchise thanks largely to one confirmed Switch 2 feature.

Animal Crossing New Horizons KK Slider and Tom Nook GameRant Visual

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The Next Animal Crossing Should Avoid Ending With a Whimper Instead of a Bang Like New Horizons

No new title for Animal Crossing has been confirmed yet, but as fans eagerly await an announcement, Nintendo should ensure it ends on a high note.

Animal Crossing Will Have A Happy Home On The Switch 2

New Horizons May Continue To Excel On The Switch 2

One of the most noteworthy features of the Switch 2 is that it will be backward compatible with most previously released games on the Nintendo Switch. Nintendo had announced this prior to the Switch’s proper unveiling, but the fact was reiterated near the end of the two-minute reveal trailer. While Nintendo clarified that some titles would not be backward compatible, this will most likely only affect titles that use accessories like the Nintendo Labo which would not be compatible with the new Joy-Con controllers.

With backward compatibility in play, Animal Crossing could exist on the Switch 2 with the continued presence of New Horizons. Instead of pushing a brand-new game right off the bat, Nintendo could allow New Horizons to continue to live on the Switch 2 in its current form. After all, with how popular the game remains as one of the highest-selling titles of all time, Nintendo may not want to abandon that playerbase right away and may want to wait until the Switch 2 moves some units to prepare the new game.

Nintendo Could Add A New Animal Crossing Expansion

If Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the only Animal Crossing content on the Switch 2 for the time being, Nintendo could capitalize on that by dropping a brand-new expansion for the game. It’s been a point of contention that, despite its incredible popularity, Nintendo stopped post-launch support for New Horizons after releasing the Happy Home Paradise DLC in 2021. If a new game is not in the cards, Nintendo could appease the hardcore fans with some new content for the existing game.

After all, this wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for Nintendo, as the publisher previously announced the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass in 2022 and released it over the course of the next year. By the time every course was released for the game, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was a six-year-old re-release of a nine-year-old game, yet Nintendo still moved forward with supporting the highest-selling title on the Switch. Even as Animal Crossing: New Horizons turns five years old this year, Nintendo could breathe new life into it with some new content.

If Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the only Animal Crossing content on the Switch 2 for the time being, Nintendo could capitalize on that by dropping a brand-new expansion for the game.

A New Animal Crossing Game Will Come Eventually

Of course, this isn’t to say that there won’t be a new Animal Crossing game on the Switch 2 as early as its launch. Sure, Nintendo may not want to abandon the playerbase of one of its highest-selling Switch games, but that hasn’t stopped the publisher from showcasing the next Mario Kart title in the reveal of the Switch 2. If Nintendo is going to prepare a follow-up to the highest-selling Switch game for the launch of the Switch 2, nothing is stopping the publisher from doing the same with its second-highest-selling Switch game.

Even so, Nintendo has been tight-lipped about upcoming first-party titles coming to the Switch 2, thus some franchises may not get new releases as soon as the console’s launch. Still, with backward compatibility in tow, Switch 2 first-adopters will have plenty to play on the console right from the jump, as will Animal Crossing fans. Even if the next entry is not ready to go, New Horizons will still be kicking over the system’s life, and here’s hoping Nintendo capitalizes on that with some fresh new content.

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