Changes Nintendo needs to make to revive Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Animal Crossing: New Horizons has been one of the best games Nintendo has released in a while. It has sold more than any game at all over the course of its shelf life (which began in March 2020). It has sold more than any Nintendo Switch unit not named Mario Kart 8D.

It has sold more than all but ten Nintendo games in history, dating back to the NES in 1983. It's probably not going anywhere any time soon, especially when the last Animal Crossing before New Horizons was released in 2013.

Still, many players are frustrated and feel lethargic with the current state of the game. It's not dead, but it sure feels like it is for many players. Nintendo has said they have plans for the future of Animal Crossing, but until that happens many players are disappointed and upset. So what does Nintendo need to do?

I look at Animal Crossing nowadays and feel pure misery. That game is so lifeless and dead. Needs a new update desperately.

— Keez (@KeezTheFlex) July 14, 2021

How Nintendo can revive Animal Crossing

Well, it should be emphasized that the game is not dying. It's just over a year old, and almost every Nintendo game lasts at least that long if not longer. Nintendo infamously waits to release sequels to squeeze every drop out of a release.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild won't have a sequel until five years after the initial release in 2017. Animal Crossing will be active for a long time.

New Leaf. Image via Nintendo Life

Still, many fans are frustrated with the lack of updates. Doug Bowser, Nintendo president, has said there are more releases planned, but until that happens, it's just talk. In the meantime, here are a few things Nintendo can release in an update to help revive and revitalize Animal Crossing.

The game is already dead, instead of capitalising on the 30+ million sales and making AC even bigger than ever by introducing worthwhile updates that last forever, you focus on adding 1 or 2 new items every month

— Zac (@ZaruZac) July 10, 2021

Gyroids have been an iconic and fan favorite furniture item in Animal Crossing's past, and it's surprising they haven't shown up yet. Many fans theorized they'd be announced at E3, but that didn't happen.

Brewster, a longtime favorite villager, has strangely been left off the New Horizons roster. This is the first time he has not made an appearance in an Animal Crossing game in a long time, dating back to Wild World in 2005.

Adding Brewster would reassure fans and provide them with someone they've really longed to see added to the game.

Brewster. Image via Animal Crossing World

More items, new customization possibilities, new activities and even new minigames would all go a long way towards breathing some life into what's arguably become a stagnant game that once held so much promise for the future.