Skip to main content

Animal Crossing: New Horizons fall update adds a Halloween event

Animal Crossing: New Horizons will be getting a Halloween event as part of its newest fall update.

Recommended Videos

Nintendo plans to launch a fall update to Animal Crossing: New Horizons on September 30. The free update will offer new “growing pumpkins” that players will be able to add to their homes and islands. The pumpkins will grow over time and, once they reach their full size, they can be harvested and used in a variety of in-game projects, Nintendo said.

Nintendo will also add a host of costumes to the game’s Able Sisters shop, allowing players to buy new looks for their characters in time for Halloween.

Body paint and colored eye contacts will also be available in exchange for Nook Miles, and residents around the Animal Crossing universe will offer up new DIY projects focused on Halloween.

Starting at 5 p.m. local time on Halloween, October 31, Animal Crossing: New Horizons players can also participate in a celebration where they can showcase their costumes and new looks. A new guest named Jack, the Czar of Halloween, will also appear at that time with opportunities to earn rewards. Nintendo said players should keep some candy for their fellow neighbors, and if they don’t receive candy, it’s possible players will get tricked. New Reactions coming in the fall update will also let players express fear of those tricks on character faces.

Earlier this year, Nintendo offered an Animal Crossing: New Horizons Switch console. That hardware, which featured green-and-blue Joy-Con controllers and a white dock with images of Tom Nook and Nooklings Timmy and Tommy from the game, was only available in a limited quantity and has since sold out.

To celebrate the fall edition, however, Nintendo said that it’s produced more of the Animal Crossing Switch and will be making it available to participating retailers in the coming days. Nintendo didn’t immediately say when the console would be available, but said it’ll cost $300 at launch.

Outside of Halloween-themed updates, Nintendo on Friday announced plans to allow players to revisit dreams they’ve experienced in the game as part of the fall update. Players will also be able to perform Reactions in-game from the NookLink Service in Nintendo’s Switch Online smartphone app starting in early October.

Looking ahead, Nintendo said it will offer another Animal Crossing: New Horizons update in November.

Don Reisinger
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Don Reisinger is a freelance technology, video game, and entertainment journalist. He has been writing about the world of…
The best games like Animal Crossing
best games like animal crossing my time at portia steam

Animal Crossing: New Horizons' laid-back gameplay has taken the world by storm and shows no sign of slowing down. There's never been a better time to stay inside and enjoy the leisurely island lifestyle -- and people are loving what the title has to offer. But once you've burned through your first 40 hours, New Horizons is best played in short bursts. Most people will log in for a few minutes each day, see what's happening on the island, finish their daily tasks, and quickly log out. While mods can add more variety, sometimes you need a fresh take to really scratch that itch.  None of the following suggestions are identical to New Horizons, but they all offer a unique combination of crafting, exploring, and chatting with your NPC neighbors that New Horizons fans are bound to enjoy.

My Time at Sandrock

Read more
3 new Nintendo Switch games you should try this weekend (May 10-12)
Two players play Nintendo Switch.

If you only tend to follow the biggest video game releases, it may seem like the Nintendo Switch is currently in a game drought. The system has only gotten a handful of niche releases last year, like Endless Ocean: Luminous, that haven't been Zelda-level hits. Zoom out a bit, though, and you'll find that Nintendo's aging system is still thriving. That's thanks to vibrant indie and third-party scenes that are keeping the platform engaging.

If you're looking for a new Switch game to play this weekend, you actually have more to choose from than you might realize. The system got several games this week, from a chaotically fun Pac-Man game to a genuine game of the year contender. Here are three games to check out on Switch, all of which are worth picking up this weekend.
Animal Well

Read more
Sonic Dream Team’s next free update adds a new zone and ranking system
Sonic swings on a bar in Sonic Dream Team.

Sonic Dream Team is getting a significant free update on Wednesday, April 17, that will add more levels and a ranking system. The update for the Apple Arcade exclusive comes on the heels of layoffs at developer Sega Hardlight, which was impacted by a recent restructure at Sega.

Sonic Dream Team launched as part of Apple’s iOS game subscription service in December. Though it’s only garnered a handful of critical reviews since then, including a positive one from Digital Trends, the platformer has received positive praise from Sonic fans (it currently has an 8.8 user rating on Metacritic). This week’s update is Sega Hardlight’s biggest content drop for the title.

Read more