Animal Crossing’s Best New Features Were Worth the Wait
▼ Summary
– The author found the original Animal Crossing: New Horizons decorating and terraforming systems slow and cumbersome, which prevented them from finishing their island.
– A major free update (3.0) is launching on January 15th, 2026, bringing key quality-of-life improvements to address these pain points.
– Key new features include bulk crafting, crafting from storage, and a service to instantly clean up island sections for easier redecorating.
– The update introduces “Slumber Islands,” separate sandboxes where players can instantly access catalog items and build structures to test designs freely.
– These changes aim to make the design process quicker and less tedious, potentially allowing players to finally realize long-held island ideas.
For many dedicated players, the creative process in Animal Crossing: New Horizons was often hampered by slow, manual systems that made large-scale decorating a test of patience. After years of daily play, the upcoming free Update 3.0 promises to address these long-standing frustrations with a suite of quality-of-life improvements. Launching alongside a paid Switch 2 Edition, the core enhancements aim to transform island design from a cumbersome chore into a more fluid and enjoyable experience.
During a recent virtual preview, the potential of these changes became clear. While hands-on impressions of the Switch 2 version’s visual upgrades are pending, the features shown for the free update are compelling. The headline additions include the ability to craft multiple items simultaneously, a major time-saver. Perhaps more importantly, crafting will now pull materials directly from your home storage, eliminating tedious inventory shuffling before you can even begin.
Another significant upgrade is Resetti’s Reset Service, a tool designed to instantly clear entire sections of an island. This feature alone could save hours previously spent picking up items one by one to make room for new designs. Subtle refinements to movement while terraforming were also noted, which should help make reshaping the landscape feel less awkward.
To truly showcase these streamlined systems, Nintendo is introducing Slumber Islands. These are separate creative sandboxes, distinct from the online dream-sharing feature. On a Slumber Island, players have ultimate control: they can set the time and weather, and instantly summon any item from their catalog to experiment with. Building bridges and inclines happens immediately through Lloid, bypassing Tom Nook’s usual delays. This environment seems tailor-made for testing elaborate themes, like a permanent Halloween island, without the changing seasons of your main island disrupting the aesthetic.
The preview demonstrated a design workflow that appeared far quicker and more intuitive. For players who have struggled with the cycle of ordering furniture, testing a layout, and then painstakingly dismantling it, Slumber Islands offer a risk-free space to prototype ideas. You can perfect a design in the sandbox before committing the bells and effort to recreate it on your primary island. While the true impact will only be felt upon release, these long-awaited features finally suggest a path to completing those ambitious island visions that once felt perpetually out of reach.
(Source: The Verge)
