Animal Crossing: New Horizons is receiving a long-awaited update at the beginning of November. While many players have been waiting months for confirmation that new additions and changes would be made to the game, not many fans could have foreseen just how much is coming with the final free update for Animal Crossing: New Horizons. New items and tools, along with a myriad of other necessities, will be added to the game for long-time fans.

While many of the important quality of life changes that are coming to Animal Crossing: New Horizons might feel overshadowed by the addition of the "Froggy Chair," some of these updates are long-requested enhancements. New players and veterans alike should notice improvements in island mobility, collecting, and furniture availability after November 5. This is because the update will be doing more than just adding additional storage space for players to keep their furniture in.

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Ladders, Bridges, and Stairs

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With the addition of landscaping and water-scaping in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, players suddenly had a lot more functional space to work with than in previous titles. Connecting the different levels of this space were important projects like stairs and bridges. While players have had several different styles to tap for these projects, they were limited by the number of stairs and bridges they could build on their islands. Even though eight of each can seem like a lot, for some of the most creative and detailed islands, these key resources could fall short.

The November 5 update will give some leeway to those that felt constrained and boost the number of stairs and bridges from 8 to 10. With more dedicated resources available to connect different pieces of terrain, players can flesh out their islands more and reimagine the landscapes they’ve had. Animal Crossing: New Horizons isn’t stopping at more bridges and stairs though.

There will also be the addition of a new tool with Animal Crossing: New Horizon’s November 5 update, the wooden ladder set-up kit. This should help to alleviate some of the stress put on players' pocket space by the ladder tool. While the original ladder will still have its use, wooden ladder structures provide a simpler and less expensive way for players to add traversal options to their islands, while not encroaching on the usable stairs available.

More Accessible Storage

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On top of the additions of bridges, stairs, and wooden ladder set-ups, the Animal Crossing Direct announced there will be an outdoor shed added to the game. This feature is one that many Animal Crossing: New Horizons players will likely find helpful, if only because it shortens load times. Traditionally going in and out of one’s house on the island can take time, and it can often be to just put things in or pull resources out of storage.

The shed will allow players to do this without having to enter their homes and can be placed in a desired location on the island. This means that players can be working in their new vegetable garden, preparing for a DIY food recipe, or changing out seasonal items for Halloween without having to go in and out. With the expanded storage space that will be available from Tom Nook as well, the way players interact with the island and items around them will change, even more than the experience fans had when Animal Crossing: New Horizons first launched.

New Island Opportunities

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The Boat Tours that Kapp’n will take players on, updates to Harv’s island, along with new ordinances will also give players a lot more flexibility when it comes to searching for different collectibles to fill up storage space and decorate the environment. In the past, the season, day of the week, and time of day have all had a significant effect on what was available for players. Morning could mean certain bugs and fish, certain days could mean certain vendors, and players had to hope that they would get a visit from Celeste and see shooting stars once in a blue moon.

Harv’s expanded island and vendors will mean players can look forward to buying rare items on a much more regular basis. At the same time, Kapp’n’s Boat Tours allow players opportunities to catch bugs, fish, meteor showers, and rare flora almost at will. It looks like there will still be some luck involved, but the RNG has been reigned in when compared to what players are used to.

Overall this means a much easier time for players looking to enjoy the relaxing experience of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Bug catching and fishing are part of what makes the game fun, but having to wait for specific seasons or time-traveling can put a damper on the good time. The quality of life changes planned for the Animal Crossing: New Horizons 2.0 update seem to find a fitting middle ground. It isn’t likely the players will be able to speed-run their way through the game in hours, but they won’t be completely limited by the passage of real-world time either.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is available now for Nintendo Switch.

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