Get ready to welcome new visitors to your shores, island reps! The long-awaited dual updates for Animal Crossing: New Horizons are set to arrive on January 15, 2026, bringing a wave of fresh content and technical enhancements that feel like a love letter to the game’s dedicated community. Whether you’re playing on the original Nintendo Switch or upgrading to the new Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, paradise is about to get a serious upgrade. After a hands-off preview event, we’re breaking down every exciting new feature, from turning your humble island into a bustling tourist destination to revolutionary quality-of-life changes.
The Kapp’n Family Hotel: Your Island’s New Social Hub
The charming, sea-shanty-singing Kapp’n isn’t just running boat tours anymore. His entire family has moved in to operate a sprawling customizable beachside hotel at the end of your dock, fundamentally changing how you interact with your island and its visitors.
His wife, Leilani, acts as the proprietor, and through her, you can design up to ten unique guest rooms. The twist? Unlike the Happy Home Paradise DLC, you’re not designing for a specific villager. Instead, you pick from a broad list of themes like Kiddie, Ranch, or Dreamy, and then build a room fitting that aesthetic. As in HHP, you have access to your full catalog, plus a “Recommended” section stocked with theme-appropriate furniture. The core philosophy is brilliant: “If you build it, they will come.” Design a chic, minimalist room, and a villager with matching tastes might just check in.
These tourist villagers then roam your island freely, sporting outfits you can preset on mannequins in the hotel lobby. Imagine bumping into a vacationing Zell in a snazzy sweater you picked out! While they can’t be persuaded to move in permanently (a bittersweet limitation), their presence makes your island feel truly alive and dynamic. The hotel isn’t just decor; it’s a living, breathing expansion of your island’s community.
Earning Hotel Tickets and Unlocking Exclusive Treasures
Your interior design prowess is rewarded with Hotel Tickets, a new currency used at a shop run by Gran in the lobby. Her catalog is vast, introducing entirely new furniture sets and standalone items, effectively doubling the game’s decorative possibilities. But the real showstoppers are the exclusive items:
- Retro Nintendo Items: This set includes iconic toys like the Ultra Hand and, most excitingly, playable NES consoles. Several in-game NES variants exist, each with one playable classic game (the preview flashed Ice Climbers). A Nintendo Switch Online subscription is required to play these retro gems, letting you enjoy a quick round of Balloon Fight or Donkey Kong right in your virtual home.
- Batch Crafting Confirmed: To help you fulfill Kapp’n’s item box requests for extra tickets, the long-requested batch crafting feature is finally here. While the preview couldn’t confirm if crafting pulls from home storage, the mere ability to make multiple fish bait or fences at once is a monumental time-saver.
Slumber Islands: A Dreamy New Canvas for Collaboration
Perhaps the most ambitious new feature is Slumber Islands, a separate, dream-like archipelago accessed through Luna. This is a dedicated, shared space for creative expression and multiplayer collaboration. Think of it as a massive, terraformable blank canvas saved to your Nintendo Switch Online account.
You can choose from three island sizes (large, medium, or small) and have full terraforming tools at your disposal. The magic happens in multiplayer: up to eight players (or 12 on Switch 2) can build together simultaneously. The preview smoothly showed two players terraforming side-by-side without a hitch. You have infinite access to your personal catalog and any plants you’ve discovered, and you can even place your current villagers as interactive set pieces. Crucially, nothing you do or pick up here affects your main island—it’s a pure, pressure-free creative playground.
For Switch 2 players, the experience is supercharged with integrated Game Chat, complete with a small video feed. This transforms collaborative building from a silent exchange of reactions into a lively, connected hangout, making coordination on grand projects easier and more social than ever before.
Blockbuster Collaboration Items: Zelda, Splatoon, and LEGO
The update brings three stunning collaboration sets that will have collectors buzzing.
- The Legend of Zelda Series: This set is a Hyrule fan’s dream. It features a Decayed Guardian that lights up and whirs to life when interacted with, among other iconic items. Unlocking requires Zelda-series amiibo.
- Splatoon Series: Bring some fresh ink to your island with Squid Sisters posters, a squid punching bag, and vibrant, urban-style furniture. This set also requires its corresponding amiibo to unlock.
- LEGO Collection: The most expansive of the three, this set can easily furnish an entire room (or basement!). It includes everything from sleek lounging furniture to what appears to be a LEGO-themed arcade cabinet. Best of all, this nostalgia-packed set is available directly through the Nook Shopping app, no amiibo needed.
Nintendo Switch 2 Enhancements: Precision and Power
For those upgrading to the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, the experience is refined with several game-changing improvements:
Mouse & Keyboard Support: This is a revelation for creators. Decorating becomes a intuitive click-and-drag affair. Pattern design is freed from the tyranny of analog sticks, offering pixel-perfect control. Even Bulletin Board doodling becomes a genuinely creative outlet. It brings a PC-like precision to island design.
The Megaphone Tool: A clever solution to a classic annoyance. Hold the megaphone and speak a villager or NPC’s name into the mic to have their location briefly highlighted. Perfect for finding a wandering Celeste or Saharah. While the demo had hiccups, the potential is huge.
General Performance: Expect shorter loading times and smoother performance, making island life even more seamless.
Final Thoughts: A New Chapter for New Horizons
The January 2026 updates represent more than just new items; they represent new ways to play. The hotel adds persistent, charming social dynamics. Slumber Islands offer boundless, shared creativity. The Switch 2 enhancements remove decades-old friction points. While questions remain—like the exact mechanics of attracting tourists—the preview paints a picture of a game being lovingly expanded in almost every direction. Whether you’re a decorator, a social butterfly, or a completionist, your island getaway is about to feel brand new again. Mark your calendars for January 15th—Kapp’n’s family is waiting to check you in.
