This past week Nintendo held a special Direct presentation for Animal Crossing: New Horizons, during which it unveiled a premium expansion for the game titled Happy Home Paradise. Nintendo also unveiled its finalized plans for the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack subscription, which will include the Happy Home Paradise DLC for Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The situation has led to confusion, however, with Animal Crossing: New Horizons players wondering what happens if their Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack subscription ends.
In a statement from Nintendo to Eurogamer, some clarity was provided regarding the situation. As expected, Nintendo confirmed that if a Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack subscriber ends their subscription, they lose access to the Happy Home Paradise DLC for Animal Crossing: New Horizons. However, they don't lose access to all of the content that they may have unlocked while playing the Happy Home Paradise DLC.
If, while playing the Happy Home Paradise DLC as part of the Expansion Pack subscription, Animal Crossing: New Horizons players unlock content for their main island, they can keep it. That means purchasing new items like Happy Home Paradise's countertops, partition walls, ambient lighting, and soundscapes result in permanent unlocks. Even after their subscription ends, Animal Crossing: New Horizons players can use these items to decorate their main island.
What Animal Crossing: New Horizons players won't be able to do if their subscription ends is visit the Happy Home Paradise archipelago anymore. And as such, they won't be able to see all of their custom vacation homes, accept requests to customize more vacation homes, or be able to purchase more new content from the Happy Home Paradise shop. The only permanently unlocked content is what a player has taken back to their home island. The rest requires a constant Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack subscription.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons players don't require a subscription to own the Happy Home Paradise DLC, of course. It's available separately from the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack subscription, too. It costs a one-time payment of $25 and players won't have to worry about ever losing their content.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons players will have to decide what's best for themselves going forward. If they don't care about the Nintendo Switch Online Expansions Pack's offerings, like Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis games, just buy the DLC on its own for $25. If the Expansion Pack is appealing and an Animal Crossing: New Horizons player plans to be subscribed long-term, then why not take advantage of the bonus DLC. Just remember that most of the DLC can always be taken away.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is available now on Switch.
Source: Eurogamer