Nintendo has announced that Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ next update will add some more depth to the experience by letting you dive into the ocean past the shores of your island. Which is good, because despite what some elected officials might want you to believe, we’re still in the midst of a pandemic that is not going anywhere anytime soon, so you should stay inside and skip the beach this summer.
The Free Summer Update will be the first of a few, and it will launch next week on July 3. When it goes live, you’ll be able to swim out into the ocean and dive to collect creatures for your museum’s growing collection. Before this, bugs, fish, and fossils could be found and donated, but now you’ll be able to find sea creatures like starfish, sea anemones, and eels for Blathers to add to the museum displays. Given that he seems pretty chill with fish in general, he probably won’t have an adverse reaction to these like he does bugs. Hopefully, for his sake.
With the addition of swimming comes a new character, as well. Pascal, a villager that debuted back in Nintendo DS days in Animal Crossing: Wild World, will be making his return in New Horizons. This otter is a big fan of scallops, and is willing to trade any you might find for exclusive DIY recipes that can give your house a real underwater look. It also looks like this update will be bringing new content to Gulliver’s appearances on your island, so be on the lookout for him washing up on your shores again.
Nintendo also confirmed the next summer update will come in early August. Check out the full trailer below:
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Between updates, Animal Crossing: New Horizons players have been using the game’s expansive customization and creation options to find their own fun while they wait for Nintendo release new content updates like this one. Whether that’s in elaborate recreations of other video games like the Pokemon series, paying tribute to their favorite artists like some K-pop fans did for LOONA, or just celebrating events they can’t due to the coronavirus pandemic. I recently attended a graduation ceremony in New Horizons, and it really just feels like this game hit at the right time for us to use as a proxy to live a semblance of normalcy when it comes to having a place to hold events and celebrate.
If you’re just starting out and you’re just here because the notion of a surrogate beach experience caught your eye, be sure to check out our extensive guides here at Fanbyte. We’ve got some general tips on how to decorate your island, a list of custom designs for paths you can use to make your island layout look less haphazard than mine did, or just keep an eye out for when we eventually put out guides for acquiring Pascal’s DIY recipes.
