This article was originally written for TheNintendoVillage.com, a website I founded and ran from 2018 to 2021.

On the back of this morning’s rumours following some mined data, Nintendo have dropped a trailer for the upcoming Animal Crossing: New Horizons update confirming much of what was speculated.

Leading the charge in the new update is the return of Leif the sloth, who’ll show up in your island precinct to sell flowers and bushes, the latter of which make their return from New Leaf.

Crazy Redd - now known as Jolly Redd - is also making a return, and he’ll show up on his treasure trawler on the little ‘secret’ beach on the northern part of your island. Players will be able to buy various artwork and sculptures from him, as well as furniture that’ll come in colours unavailable at Nook’s Cranny.

Those artworks and antiques can be donated the museum which is also getting an expansion. The building itself will gain a slightly wider front, with the new art gallery section looking just as cool as the rest of the building. Be aware though, that Redd will sometimes sell you forgeries which cannot be donated to the museum, so you’ll have to figure out which ones are the real deal - just like in previous games.

As well as all the new features, three special events have been announced. The first coincides with the arrival of the update on 23 April and runs until 4 May where special Nook Miles+ goals will be available centred around nature-based tasks - planting flowers, growing trees etc.

The second event runs from 1 May to 7 May, with players receiving a special ‘May Day’ ticket which will allow them to go on a special Island Tour. Nintendo’s press release hints at the return of a ‘familiar character’ on the island too, and judging from the trailer, it looks like the back of Rover’s head to us - the cat who has traditionally chatted to you at the beginning of Animal Crossing games.

The International Museum Day event runs from 18 May until the end of the month, with players able to earn stamps as they check out the various exhibits in the museum. There’s an in-game reward for those that do.

Lastly, Wedding Season will apparently run throughout the entirety of June. Players can visit Harvey’s photo island where the Alpacas from New Leaf - Reece and Cyrus - will be celebrating their anniversary. Players can take photos and earn wedding-themed items from them as a reward.

You can check out the trailer below but needless to say, it’s pretty sizeable update! Let us know what you’re most excited for down in the comments.

Source: Nintendo