Free Animal Crossing Summer Update On The Horizon

Animal Crossing: New Horizons fans have two summer updates to look forward to this year, with the first of those coming July 3.

The first of the Animal Crossing summer updates will finally allow your villager to explore the ocean depths! Swimming and diving are making a return to the Animal Crossing series after a notable absence from New Horizons‘ initial release. That means your villager can don a swimming suit or a wet suit and snorkel and hop in the warm (or freezing, depending on your island’s hemisphere) water!

While you likely won’t be able to explore your town’s rivers and lakes, the ocean offers plenty to find. This includes new sea creatures, such as sea stars, which Blathers at the museum may take an interest in. This update will also mark the series return of the red sea otter, Pascal, who first appeared in Animal Crossing: Wild World. Players can run into this philosophizing personality while exploring the ocean, and he may even offer an ocean-themed DIY recipe or two for you to make back on dry land.

Those familiar with their island’s beaches have likely already run into Gulliver, the shipwrecked seagull. The Animal Crossing summer update looks to introduce a new encounter with the sleepy seagull.

If you want to stock up on bells so you can pay the pretty penny Timmy and Tommy will likely want for diving equipment, check out our guide to mastering the stalk market.

Animal Crossing Summer Update #2

A second update to the game is promised for early August, but Nintendo didn’t release any details on what new experiences, places, items, or characters we can expect then. Updates have become somewhat of an expectation with Animal Crossing: New Horizons, so it’s safe to assume the August update won’t be the last update we see in 2020. Be sure to check out what Nintendo added in April’s update.

What other summertime activities do you want to see Nintendo incorporate into Animal Crossing? Were you as disappointed as I was when the game released without swimming and diving or were you certain it would be added in an update? Be sure to let me know your thoughts in the comments below.