Animal Crossing: New Horizons second free summer update launches this week

Nintendo is pleased to announce today that Animal Crossing: New Horizons will be getting its second free summer update this week, July 30, for the Switch.

The second free update will add fireworks show, dreaming, and an island backup service. The new update can be downloaded through the Software Update later this week.

Here is a list of features that will be available on July 30:

  • Fireworks Shows – Enjoy atmospheric fireworks lighting up the sky above your island every Sunday in August at 7 p.m. Get in the spirit by redeeming Bells for raffle tickets in the plaza to get various festive items that you can use. Put your personal spin on the fireworks display by using your own custom design pattern to see it shot in the air as a firework in the sky!
  • Dreaming – You can now choose to take a nap in any bed placed in your home. (Players will need to upgrade their tent to a home in order to access the dreaming feature.) While dozing off, you may find yourself in a strange realm where you’ll be greeted by Luna. Luna offers visits to other islands as a dream, and with her help, you can share your island as a dream with others too. She will grant those who share their island a “Dream Address” which players can exchange and use to visit each other’s island in a dream. In dreams, nothing is permanent because nothing you do is saved, so explore to your heart’s content.
  • Island Backup & Restoration Service – Nintendo Switch Online members can enable the new island backup service, which automatically uploads island and user save data to the internet at certain times. If your Nintendo Switch system is lost or damaged, you may be able to recover your island paradise as long as you’ve enabled island backup. In the event of loss or damage, contact Nintendo Consumer Support about restoring the island and user save data on your new or repaired Nintendo Switch system. After your island data and individual player data is restored, you can get back to building your island community!**** Additional details can be found on the Nintendo Consumer Support page when the update goes live. The island backup feature is separate from the Save Data Cloud functionality offered for select Nintendo Switch games through Nintendo Switch Online. A function specific to Animal Crossing: New Horizons to move users and save data to another system is planned for later this year. Details will be announced in the future.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is expected to get its third summer free update this Fall.

Watch the new trailer below: