Animal Crossing: New Horizons has enjoyed tremendous popularity since its launch over six years ago, and many fans assumed Nintendo had wrapped up major support for the title. However, the company recently shocked the community by announcing a massive revitalization for the island life simulator. This came in the form of two components: a completely free 3.0 content update for all users, and a separate, paid performance upgrade tailored for the new Switch 2 console.
While both features were initially scheduled to land tomorrow, January 15, Nintendo delivered an unexpected treat: the free 3.0 update has been stealth-launched early. We can confirm that this patch is now live globally.
If you are eager to jump back in, downloading the update should be simple. It likely started automatically when you powered up your console this morning. If not, hover over the *Animal Crossing* application on the home screen, press the Plus (+) button, and navigate to “Software Update,” then select “Via the Internet.”
This 3.0 patch is the main event, delivering the bulk of new content, including access to Kapp’n’s pier hotel, the addition of Slumber Islands, and several new lines of crossover furniture. Do note, however, that the separate $4.99 Switch 2 performance upgrade—which provides frame rate improvements, an increased online player cap, and new Switch 2-specific functionality like mouse controls and GameChat—is still slated to drop as scheduled tomorrow. Happy decorating!