Nintendo Australia has updated its official page for the upcoming sim titleAnimal Crossing: New Horizonsand shared some additional details about the new multiplayer features for theNintendo Switchgame.
InAnimal Crossing: New Horizons,up to eight players can live on one shared island in two different ways. In couch co-op mode, up to four people will be able to play simultaneously on a single Nintendo Switch and with only one copy of the game. Alternatively, using a local wireless connection or online multiplayer will allow up to eight people to play together at the same time on one player’s island. Players will be able to participate in a number of activities together, such as gardening, fishing, exploring the island, and taking photos.
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There are of course some minor caveats to being able to enjoyNew Horizon’smultiplayer features. For eight people to frolic in the game together at the same time using online play, each person must have a registered account on a Nintendo Switch console and of course everybody will need to have a paid subscription to theNintendo Switch Onlineservice, which can currently be purchased in one month, three month, or yearly increments. To play using the local wireless feature, players won’t need to have a paid subscription, but everyone will have to be within one another’s vicinity.
Both of the eight-player versions ofNew Horizon’smultiplayer require each player to have their own Switch and copy of the game. Likewise, one console and one copy of the game will be required for each unique island that players want to explore.
The logistics of four people playing simultaneously on a single console are not yet entirely clear, although a second set ofNintendo Switch Joy Conswill likely be required. From a recent video released by Nintendo that showcasedNew Horizon’scouch co-op multiplayer, it seems that all four players will have to remain within close proximity of one another while they play. One person will be designated as leader and the game screen will follow their movements. If that player wanders too far away, everybody else will pop back into the center of the screen.
Multiplayer capabilities first appeared in 2005’sAnimal Crossing: Wild Worldfor the Nintendo DS and has been available inAnimal Crossinggames in one form or another ever since. Up untilNew Horizons, however, player interactions have been limited to up to four people, but multiplayer has proven to be so popular amongAnimal Crossingfansthat it was only a matter of time until Nintendo upped the ante and expanded the multiplayer features of the franchise.
Animal Crossing: New Horizonswill be released on July 15, 2025, for Nintendo Switch.
