Animal Crossing Marks 25th Anniversary with Update

On April 14, 2026, the Animal Crossing series marked its 25th anniversary, commemorating the original release of Dōbutsu no Mori for the Nintendo 64 in Japan. To celebrate, Nintendo released version 3.0.2 for Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the franchise's flagship title on the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, adding a special in-game item and addressing several technical issues.

The update introduces a commemorative Leaf Ornament, a large statue modeled after the series' iconic green leaf logo. Players can claim the item from their in-game mailbox after downloading the patch, along with a letter from Nintendo on nostalgic stationery evoking the original game's era. According to the official patch notes, the gift serves as a token of recognition for the milestone. Nintendo also shared a special illustration online depicting classic elements from the series, and added the original Animal Crossing soundtrack from the GameCube version to its Nintendo Music app.

Beyond the anniversary addition, the update includes fixes for various bugs reported by players. These address problems such as getting stuck in hotel guest rooms due to furniture placement or villager behavior, crafting...