Today, Animal Crossing fans were treated to their first look at gameplay of Animal Crossing: New Horizons during the E3 2019 Nintendo Direct presentation. The gameplay reveal was somewhat bittersweet, however. The gameplay was followed by the announcement of the game’s release date, which has been delayed to 2020.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons Release Date
Animal Crossing: New Horizons will release on March 20, 2020. The game was announced in 2018 during a Nintendo Direct presentation, where it was projected to release sometime in 2019. This will be the first time players get to embark on an Animal Crossing adventure on Nintendo Switch.
In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, players will have the opportunity to venture out to a deserted island thanks to an exclusive getaway package from Nook Inc. Your new life begins the moment you pitch your tent on the island. Afterward, you are free to construct your new homestead from the ground up. Nothing this amazing comes for free, however. Not even on a deserted island can you escape everyone’s favorite Animal Crossing debt collector, Tom Nook.
In the E3 gameplay trailer, we see a little bit of everything. From harvesting crops and catching butterflies, to crafting tools and pole-vaulting across rivers, there’s plenty to keep players busy when New Horizons releases next year. By the looks of it, the deserted island won’t stay deserted for long, if the end of the trailer is any indication.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons costs $59.99 USD and is available for pre-order from select retailers. Head over to the Nintendo Switch store page for details. Before you go, you may also want to check out the Nintendo Treehouse live interview from E3 2019 in the video below to learn more about what’s in store.