Animal Crossing: New Horizons 3.0 Update Brings Major New Content After Four-Year Wait

A Surprise Early Release for Eager Fans

After Nintendo previously stated that the 2.0 update in November 2021 would be the last major feature update, Animal Crossing: New Horizons has received its first major content update in over four years with the release of version 3.0. Nintendo treated fans to a surprise by dropping the Animal Crossing: New Horizons 3.0 update a day early, making it available on 14th January rather than the planned 15th January release date. The 3.0 update is completely free for both Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 players.

Resort Hotel Headlines New Features

This update adds a new facility—a new resort hotel—as well as other new features and activities. The new building is located at the end of the pier of your standard island and is run by Kapp’n and his family, who want you to help decorate rooms to entice guests to stay. Players earn Hotel Tickets for each room they decorate, a brand-new currency that is used to buy exclusive items added with the big update. Hotel guests can be spotted touring the island, visiting shops, and interacting with the community.

Expanded Gameplay and Collaboration Content

The update introduces several quality-of-life improvements that fans have long requested. Resetti’s Reset Service gives players the ability to clear out flowers, furniture, and more in bulk, allowing you to pick a specific area for Resetti to clean or clean the entire island. The game’s previous storage limit of 5,000 expands with two additional upgrades for a maximum of 9,000 items, including the ability to store trees, flowers, and shrubs.

New collaborations are added to the game in version 3.0, including items based on Lego, The Legend of Zelda, Splatoon, and more. Players with an active subscription to Nintendo Switch Online will be able to play one select game from six classic Nintendo consoles by interacting with their respective furniture items. Four Nintendo characters can be added with Update 3.0 if you have their amiibo cards: Mineru and Tulin from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and Cece and Viché, who are inspired by Callie and Marie from Splatoon.

What This Means for Players

The unexpected return of major content updates to Animal Crossing: New Horizons represents a significant shift in Nintendo’s support for the beloved life simulation game. After years of the community believing development had concluded, this substantial update breathes new life into island communities worldwide. Up to 12 people can play together online when everyone has the Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, dramatically expanding multiplayer possibilities. For both returning players and dedicated fans who never left their islands, the 3.0 update offers compelling reasons to dive back into island life with fresh content and improved functionality that addresses long-standing community requests.