Nintendo fans all across the internet have been waiting with bated breath for a surprise February Nintendo Direct to finally be announced. At the same time, Animal Crossing fans have been sitting on the edge of their seats in anticipation for the swiftly approaching release of the next mainline installment in the franchise, Animal Crossing: New Horizons. However, Nintendo has barely released any real information about the game since E3 of last year when the title was fully unveiled.
Now, it’s finally happened. Nintendo has – at long last – announced the date and topic of the next Nintendo Direct. This time around, Nintendo is dedicating a full 25 minute showcase to Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The New Horizons Direct is set to take place on Thursday, February 20 at 6 a.m. PST/9 a.m. EST and will heavily feature what Nook Inc.’s Deserted Island Getaway Package entails.
Animal Crossing fans will not have to wait much longer to finally learn more about the next mainline entry in the series. Just last week, rumors of an Animal Crossing Direct were swirling all around the internet. Now, that rumor has actually come to fruition as Nintendo revealed on its official Twitter account as well as the Animal Crossing Twitter account that the long-awaited Direct will focus on New Horizons, which releases on March 20.
Even in Japan, information about the next mainline entry in the beloved franchise has been sparse which is surprising considering the series has a history of releasing in Japan far ahead of the west. The biggest New Horizons news to come out in quite some time was the recently announced special edition switch bundle, which have been selling out everywhere.
While details remain limited on what actually will be shown in the direct itself, Nintendo’s promotion image for the Direct says it will feature, “an in-depth look at Nook Inc.’s Deserted Island Getaway Package!” For those unaware, New Horizons is set on a deserted island, with players building up their islands from scratch with the help of Tom Nook and the nooklings.
The Direct should shed light on plenty of information that Animal Crossing fans have been wondering about since the 2019 E3 showcase. Briefly, there was some concern that the game might feature microtransactions – something unprecedented for the series. However, the original ESRB rating that caused the concern was swiftly corrected. Hopefully, this Direct provides the information fans have been waiting for.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons releases March 20, 2020, exclusively on Nintendo Switch.