Animal Crossing: New Horizons‘ fall update is arriving on September 30, and it’s bringing new features, items and recipes perfect for the spookiest season. Pumpkin seeds will be available for purchase soon, and the resulting vegetables can be used in new DIY recipes. Halloween-themed decorations and costumes are also featured, culminating in a Halloween night event on October 31.
Although Animal Crossing: New Horizons has only been out for six months, it has broken numerous sales records since its release, with more than 22 million copies sold. The game encourages long-term play by running in real-time, so players are required to wait an actual day or so for in-game features like growing flowers or constructing buildings and bridges. Alongside monthly additions to the bugs and fish available on the island, Nintendo has been fairly consistent with offering seasonal updates that bring along new DIY recipes and crafting materials, and seasonal events and rewards that won’t be available again until the same time next year.
The fall update for Animal Crossing: New Horizons was announced on the official Animal Crossing Twitter. The video showcases the new features coming at the end of September, just in time for Halloween. Players will soon be able to grow pumpkins on their islands, which can be used in new DIY recipes. As Halloween approaches, players will be able to change their look with new skin and eye color customization options and costumes available in the Able Sisters’ shop. October 31 will bring a visit from Jack, “the czar of Halloween.” Villagers will be dressed up, and players can hand out candy purchased from Nook’s Cranny or risk getting tricked.
This update comes just in time for many Animal Crossing: New Horizons players. After the initial boom of sales, players have struggled to find new things to do in the game. The latest update earlier this month, which began to herald the fall season with the addition of acorns, pinecones, and a few new DIY recipes, quickly lost its appeal as players struggled to find enough of the new crafting supplies. Some extremely creative players took matters into their own hands, using the game’s crafting recipes and terraforming options to painstakingly recreate scenes from real life and other game franchises on their islands, but even these self-made tasks can’t hold players over for much longer. With this fall update, the preparation for Halloween will likely give players the objectives they need to jump back in and commit the same long hours they did when Animal Crossing: New Horizons first came out, and hold them over until the teased November update.
Nintendo is likely hoping to attract both new and old players with its fall update for Animal Crossing: New Horizons, but if the company truly wants to keep players interested, it’ll need to listen to the requests fans have been making since the game released. While this fall update is a good start, Nintendo will need to show even more consistent and engaging updates once the holiday season is over.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is currently available only on Nintendo Switch.
