Chilly weather is bringing warm holiday cheer in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, where maple leaves are drifting down from the trees and snow is just around the corner (for islands located in the Northern Hemisphere).

Plus, a free update* is available now that introduces festivities, enhancements, and a number of special occasions** like Turkey Day and Toy Day, giving you opportunities to connect*** with friends and family and enjoy island life together with your Animal Crossing: New Horizons residents.

Features in the update and seasonal activities:

• Turkey Day – On Turkey Day (November 26), the first-class chef Franklin will arrive and host a gathering in the plaza****. You can help Franklin collect ingredients to go in the dishes that will be on display in the plaza. You can even receive an in-game gift from Franklin as a thank you for helping him prepare the feast.
• Toy Day – It’s the time of the year when island residents rejoice…The month of Toy Day is nearly at hand! You might notice your island and plaza gradually becoming more festive with holiday-themed decorations over the coming weeks.*** You can keep an eye out for decorated trees, too. Shaking these may drop ornaments which will allow you to craft holiday DIY recipes. From Dec. 1 to Dec. 25, you’ll be able to purchase toys from Nook’s Cranny and find holiday-themed clothing at the Able Sisters shop. When it’s officially Toy Day on Dec. 24, Jingle will pay a special visit to your island to spread holiday cheer. If you help him deliver presents, you might receive an in-game gift!
• Seasonal Items – New seasonal items will be available starting December 1 at Nook Stop. Between December 26 and December 31, there will also be several festive items to commemorate New Year’s Eve. In addition to the update content, you can look forward to a countdown event starting at 7 p.m. on December 31. With Animal Crossing: New Horizons, you can meet in-game to ring in the new year with friends, family and your island residents!
• Reactions and Hairstyles – You can let your personality shine with nine new Reactions and six new hairstyle options.
• Visit Random Islands in Dreams – You can choose to visit random islands while dreaming, opening up new vistas of inspiration for your own island customizations**.
• Home Storage Upgrade – If you’ve expanded your in-game home to its largest size and paid off your debt, you’ll now be able to apply for a home storage expansion by speaking to Tom Nook at Resident Services. Congrats on achieving the next level of home ownership. This will expand your home storage to 2400 slots. Think of all the items you can now store and access from the comfort of your island home!
• Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Collaboration – To commemorate the third anniversary of the Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp game*****, an Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp themed smartphone model will become available in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. To receive this smartphone model, you’ll need to link both the Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp app and Animal Crossing: New Horizons to your Nintendo account. For more information, you can visit the official site.
• Island and Resident Data Transfers – You can now transfer a single player’s resident data to another Nintendo Switch system or move your whole island from one system to another with the help of the Island Transfer Tool, free for download. You can learn more on the official site.

For more information about Animal Crossing: New Horizons, you can visit the official site.

*Players will need to connect to the internet and download the latest update data to access certain in-game events as they become available.

**To enjoy events, you will need to link your Nintendo Account and your Nintendo Switch user profile and connect your system to the internet when those events are scheduled.

***Nintendo Switch Online membership (sold separately) and Nintendo Account required for online features. Not available in all countries. Internet access required for online features. Terms apply. https://nintendo.com/switch-online

****Resident Services needs to be upgraded once for this feature to be available. 

*****Free-to-start; optional in-game purchases available. Persistent internet and compatible smartphone required. Data charges may apply.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons ESRB Rating: Everyone with Comic Mischief

Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp ESRB Rating: Everyone / In-Game Purchases