September's Nintendo Direct came with a plethora of new announcements related to upcoming Switch titles and beyond. In a stream that announced new titles like Kirby and the Forgotten Land and showed off updated gameplay for games like Bayonetta 3 and Splatoon 3, Nintendo announced an upcoming Animal Crossing: New Horizons Direct to come at a later date in October. The stream revealed several new updates coming to the title including the return of a familiar face.
The Animal Crossing: New Horizons-focused stream announced several free updates coming to the title in the near future including several new tools for the game's interior design, the addition of Brewster's cafe to the museum, and several more. The stream also announced the first paid DLC for the popular life simulation title, an interior design-focused expansion titled Happy Home Paradise for $24.99. Among the slew of announcements, another franchise staple was announced to be joining the game alongside Brewster, the seafaring Kapp'n.
Kapp'n was announced to be added to the Switch title alongside the new Kapp'n's Boat Tours feature which allows players to visit mysterious new islands for the price of 1000 Nook Miles. Players will be able to find islands with new kinds of plant life, different seasons, and more unique features to differentiate itself from the pre-existing Mystery Tours available at the airport. Kapp'n's Boat Tours will be a free addition to the game alongside Brewster's cafe and the slew of new furniture and tools.
Several new mechanics and features were also announced to be coming to the base game. New furniture and hairstyles are being added to the game, obtainable through both the Nook Miles shop and the updates to Harv's Island. Updates to the game's decoration system will allow player to add hanging furniture like lamps and shelves and players will be now able to move through tight spaces. The slew of free content will launch day-and-date alongside the paid DLC on November 5 with pre-orders for the paid version opening on October 29th. The DLC will also be available as part of the Nintendo Switch Online Plus Expansion Pack membership.
Nintendo has confirmed several times in the past that it intends to continue supporting Animal Crossing: New Horizons into the future and has made frequent updates to the title since its March 2020 launch. The massively popular Switch title has added mechanics like ocean diving, tons of new furniture, and has brought back fan favorite characters like Redd. The title's success has spoken for itself being one of the highest selling games on the Switch and the newest update looks to keep that success going well into the future.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is available now on Switch. The free update and Happy Home Paradise will release on November 5.