Right now, the next Animal Crossing has yet to be confirmed by Nintendo, but with the recent announcement of the Switch 2, a reveal feels more likely than ever. The most recent entry in the Animal Crossing franchise, New Horizons, brought a hit title to the original Switch back in 2020, but five years have passed, so it’s about time for a fresh chapter.
While Nintendo hasn’t made any official announcement regarding the next Animal Crossing, leaks and rumors have offered possible insight into what the series has in store next. From reports of more robust multiplayer elements to mini-games and driveable vehicles, such upgrades to New Horizons‘ follow-up could be the beginning of a new era. However, until Nintendo reveals such features, these claims simply remain rumors. There’s no telling when Animal Crossing will get another game, but when that day comes, there needs to be a major overhaul to Villager interactions.
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Animal Crossing New Horizons: Why You Should Start Over in 2025
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a stellar addition to Nintendo’s life-sim franchise, and players should consider restarting their islands in 2025.
Animal Crossing’s Next Entry Should Put a Focus on Villager Personalities
A Big New Horizons Criticism WIth Villager Interactions Needs Addressed
While New Horizons featured plenty of the usual Animal Crossing franchise charm, one of the biggest critiques of the game involved the personalities of its Villager NPCs. Compared to previous entries in the series, a lot of longtime players have expressed their frustrations with Villagers in New Horizons, claiming their personalities are bland and interactions repetitive.
Since the game’s launch, the staleness of Villager personalities has been a topic of discussion among players on the internet. After so many years, one would expect Villager personalities to evolve in big ways, but they remained relatively basic in New Horizons. Now that the Switch 2 is on the way, Animal Crossing is bound to be back in the spotlight, and repeating the same Villager personality mistakes could prove incredibly disappointing for a lot of players.
A recent report revealed that Animal Crossing: New Horizons has reached a new milestone, selling over 8 million physical copies in Japan.
Upcoming News About the Switch 2 Hopefully Brings an Animal Crossing Announcement With It
The initial reveal of Nintendo’s next console finally arrived after rumors and leaks permeated the 2024 gaming news cycle. Now that the Switch 2 is set to launch sometime later this year, many are waiting to see what its launch titles are going to be. Titles like Metroid Prime 4: Beyond feel like an inevitability, but there is also the possibility that the next Animal Crossing could be slated to ring in the console’s launch, too.
With Nintendo set to host a Direct event centered around the Switch 2 in the coming months, it could be the first reveal of which games to expect alongside the console’s launch. If a new Animal Crossing happens to be on that list, then Nintendo will have to ensure that the sequel to New Horizons boasts improvements that set this installment apart. Whatever the next Animal Crossing has in store, it hopefully side-steps the potential of feeling like a repackaged version of its predecessor.
The Switch 2’s Nintendo Direct event is scheduled to broadcast on Wednesday, April 2.
Between New Horizons‘ lack of unique NPC personalities and the rumors suggesting big things ahead for the next Animal Crossing, the follow-up has a lot of expectations to live up to. Even if Animal Crossing isn’t a Switch 2 launch title, the console is the likely home of the next entry. Seeing how Nintendo chooses to make Animal Crossing on the Switch 2 a special experience is intriguing, but there will hopefully be more meaningful in-game interactions brought to players, as well.
- Released
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March 20, 2020
- ESRB
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E for Everyone: Comic Mischief
- Developer(s)
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Nintendo EPD
- Publisher(s)
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Nintendo