It was a welcome surprise that Animal Crossing: New Horizons' 2.0 update dropped a few days early, but that also means that the time to prepare for the content to come was drastically reduced. This has resulted in some players feeling a little overwhelmed with the many new additions to the game, as they weren't given proper time to research everything that was inbound before it arrived.

There's a lot to the update, and it's completely understandable if someone can't seem to remember what's new and what's old, especially given how long it's been since the original release of the game. Below, players can find all of the major content additions that have been added in Animal Crossing: New Horizons' final free content update.

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Brewster's Cafe: the Roost

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Brewster the pigeon is a fan-favorite character in the Animal Crossing community for his laid-back attitude and "man-of-few-words" vibes. His absence from New Horizons was noted early on in the game's marketing cycle, and fans were hopeful that he'd make an appearance once the game was released. Although he didn't make the cut for the base version of the game, the 2.0 update has added his cafe, the Roost, back to the museum for players to relax, drink some coffee, and meet up with friends.

Farming in Animal Crossing

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It's always seemed a little bit odd that the Animal Crossing series never included farming, because the systems for it have been in place since the early days of the franchise. New Horizons 2.0 has gone all-out for the introduction of the frequently requested feature by allowing players to plant and nurture all sorts of different types of crops, ranging from simple vegetables to more ingredient-focused items like wheat and sugar cane. Alongside the addition of farming in Animal Crossing, players are also able to cook using the literal fruits of their labor.

Island-Wide Ordinances

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Another hotly requested feature from past Animal Crossing entries is Island-wide ordinances. The ordinances essentially change an element about a player's island, from the behaviors of its residents to the prices in its stores. Players are able to change their Animal Crossing island's ordinance from the town hall for 20,000 bells which, while seeming like a high price, can be very useful for tailoring a player's island exactly how they like it.

DIY Storage and Custom Design Slots

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Following the release of Animal Crossing: New Horizons last year, fans quickly ran out of slots for their custom designs, but now the 2.0 update has increased the number of slots available to players to 200. This allows players to be able to design their island to their hearts' content without worrying about running out of design spaces halfway through a project. House storage has also been expanded to allow players to put unused DIY recipes inside instead of throwing them out or simply leaving them on the ground. This way, players who want to share DIY recipes don't have to leave them sitting out.

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Permanent Ladders and Increased Inclines and Bridges

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One of New Horizons' big features was the addition of ladders as another tool for players to hold onto as they traverse their islands. The 2.0 update now allows Animal Crossing players to permanently fix ladders to unscalable walls, meaning that they are no longer an item that players can't leave the house without. Additionally, players are able to build more inclines and bridges than ever before, as they're now allowed to have 10 total. This can really open the possibilities for island traffic and management for those with the cash to pay for them.

Major Additions to Harv's Island

Harvey stands in front of his house and photo studio on Harv's Island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

Harv's Island was a little bit of a mystery when Animal Crossing: New Horizons first launched. There wasn't a whole lot to do there outside of taking pictures and organizing the wedding of Cyrus and Reese, so fans were hopeful that there would be more coming to the area eventually. The 2.0 update changed it in a major way, adding the option for players to spend bells to have rotating stores set up permanent booths. This means that players no longer need to wait for characters like Leif or Kicks to make appearances on their island as long as they have the bells to make them set up stalls with Harv.

Isabelle's Morning Announcements

When players boot up Animal Crossing: New Horizons for the first time each day, they're greeted by Isabelle making some announcements for the entire island to hear. She usually notes whenever major events are happening or when a villager has a birthday, but now she remarks whenever rotating merchants are visiting the island. This can be super useful for anyone who doesn't have the money to lock all the booths down on Harv's island and need to know when new shops are stopping by for the day.

New Hozions' New Villagers

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One of the most exciting parts about the 2.0 update is that Animal Crossing: New Horizons is getting 16 new villagers added to its roster. Half of the new characters are returning villagers from past games that haven't been seen for several entries, but the other half are completely new to the Animal Crossing series. Because they're new, they're some of the most desired characters in the game, especially given how cute most of their designs are. Anyone looking to add the new faces to their islands can encounter them in the usual ways, like the campsite and on other islands. Players can also purchase the newest generation of Amiibo cards for quick access.

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

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