Animal Crossing: New Horizons Update 3.0 Is Live Early – Here’s How To Download It Now
It’s hard to believe it’s been six years since *Animal Crossing: New Horizons* debuted, and for a long time, it seemed like Nintendo had retired its support for the wildly successful Switch title. But the publisher recently stunned fans by announcing not only a performance-enhanced version for the upcoming Switch 2 console, but also a gigantic, completely free content patch—Update 3.0—for all players. While both components were scheduled to launch tomorrow, January 15, Nintendo has sprung an unexpected treat: the 3.0 content update is officially live right now.
Reports from around the world confirm that this isn’t an isolated incident; the early release is widespread. The good news is that securing the update is usually effortless, as it often begins downloading automatically when you wake your Switch console. If your island hasn’t initiated the download yet, you can force the process by hovering over the game icon on the home screen, pressing the plus button, navigating to “Software Update,” and selecting “Via the Internet.”
This major, free update brings the bulk of the new content to players, including access to Slumber Islands, the highly anticipated hotel addition to Kapp’n’s pier, and fresh lines of crossover furniture. It is important to note, however, that while the 3.0 patch is available, the premium $4.99 Switch 2 performance upgrade is still scheduled to launch tomorrow. But considering the huge amount of new content available today, this is certainly the early launch fans are most excited about.