Five Things the Next Animal Crossing Game Needs to Have

Sassy villagers and multiplayer chaos: why the next Animal Crossing needs to find its edge.

Published: Jul 07, 2026, 12:36 pm Updated: Jul 07, 2026, 12:36 pm

Primary Subject: Animal Crossing (Next Mainline Game)
Key Update: An opinion-driven breakdown of the top legacy features and community demands Nintendo needs to bring back for the series' next iteration.
Status: Speculation / Fan Wishlist
Last Verified: July 7, 2026
Quick Answer: This features piece highlights five major quality-of-life, personality, and multiplayer changes Nintendo should implement to evolve the Animal Crossing formula on next-gen hardware.

Though Nintendo has remained quiet about a new Animal Crossing game, it feels like it could be coming any day now.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons came out in 2020 for the original Switch. While you can upgrade the game to play it on the Switch 2, Nintendo has yet to confirm a new mainline Animal Crossing Game for the console, but it's highly likely due to how successful the previous entry was.

If Nintendo is working on another Animal Crossing game, there are definitely some new things I would like to see included. Here are five features the next game absolutely needs.

Villagers With More Personality

In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, players often complained that villagers lacked personality. In Wild World and New Leaf, villagers weren't afraid to be rude and sassy - it was a major shame that they left that out in New Horizons for more vanilla dialogue.

Two animated characters in a video game setting are having a conversation outside a house. One is a blue horse, and the other is wearing a yellow outfit with black spots. The dialogue is playful, with the horse making a teasing remark.

We saw it with Pokopia; people liked how funny the Pokemon were. For the next AC game, I hope Nintendo isn't afraid to play around with the personalities of villagers.

Tortimer's Island

New Horizons' multiplayer experience was lackluster. Sure, your friends could come visit your island to get resources, check your stores, or sell turnips, but there was little to do after. This is why we need Tortimer's Island to return in the next Animal Crossing game.

Five animated characters in a grassy landscape, some holding lanterns and others engaged in activities, with a timer displayed at the top.

In New Leaf, you boarded a boat with Kapp'n and arrived at a tropical resort. There, you'd meet the former mayor, Tortimer, and enter the tour. Here, you can play mini-games, providing a different experience from simply revitalizing your island. You could also go to Club Tortimer, which allowed you to travel to a multiplayer island and complete these games with other players. It makes playing with others way more fun and dynamic, and would be a great addition to the next game.

Interactive Furniture

Sure, you could sit on chairs and interact with some items like food in New Horizons, but a massive chunk of items were simply decoration. You can place a beautiful playground or a pool on your island, and villagers would just... stand there.

A character walking in a cozy, outdoor dining area in a game, surrounded by bushes, with tables and chairs, and a food stand in the background.

For future Animal Crossing games, it would be nice if more items could be interactable. Many villagers can sit in the hot tub, or ride the teacup rides, or actually ride the slide. It would make the island feel more alive rather than just look nice.

Add a Main Street

In New Horizons, we were transported into a deserted island. The only other areas you could go to were Mystery Islands via the airport or a Kapp'n boat ride. These islands were deserted, meaning there were no shops. The only time there would be another character was if your island had an empty plot.

A character standing in front of a house with a flower garden, near shops labeled T&T Mart and Able Sisters in a video game environment.

While it was nice playing in this sandbox environment and building your island from scratch, I miss the urban spaces in past Animal Crossing games - it just felt cozier. In the next game, I'd love to see a dedicated city or main street where we can interact with NPCs like Celeste, Label, and Brewster.

Part-Time Jobs

This might be a controversial take, but I think it could be fun! At the start of Wild World, you work for Tom Nook for a short period to pay off your initial house debt. You're tasked to deliver orders from villagers, plant flowers by the shop, and write letters. It's only done for a short time, and there's no way to start working for Tom Nook after this part of the game is done.

Tom Nook talking to a player in a scene from Animal Crossing, discussing a fee of 130 Bells.

For future Animal Crossing games, I'd love the option to work part-time for some stores. Maybe you could help Blather catalog fossils in the museum or take a shift at The Roost to deliver coffee to villagers. There would be no consequences to not working, and you'd have to interact with the NPC to start your shift. It would be a great way to add to a player's daily routine.

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