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Animal Crossing: New Horizons 3.0: play sooner with this handy tip



animal-crossing-new-horizons-3-0-play-earlier-thanks-to-this-handy-tip

©Nintendo

Launched in March 2020, Animal Crossing: New Horizons quickly became a virtual refuge during the pandemic. Nearly six years later, Nintendo is reigniting interest in the game with the highly anticipated 3.0 update, a major evolution of the Switch’s flagship title.

This new version is particularly important, because it will accompany the release of Nintendo Switch 2 editionplanned for January 15, 2026. Two formats are planned: a physical version and a digital upgrade pack available on the Nintendo eShop.

What time will update 3.0 be released?

While Nintendo has not yet confirmed the official launch time, previous Animal Crossing updates have all been deployed at 10:00 JST (Japan time). Following this diagram, here are the estimated times in the main time zones:

  • 5:00 p.m. PT (January 14) – West Coast of the United States
  • 8:00 p.m. ET (January 14) – East Coast of the United States
  • 2:00 a.m. CET (January 15) – Western Europe
  • 12:00 AEDT (January 15) – Australia

Play in advance thanks to time zones

Another launch window could correspond to the early activation of the update with the release of the Switch 2 pack in New Zealanda country often used for “early access”. In this case, the advanced hours would be as follows:

  • 3:00 a.m. PT (January 14)
  • 6:00 a.m. ET (January 14)
  • 12:00 CET (January 14)

In other words, depending on your location, you could start playing almost 24 hours before the overall deployment. A tip known to New Zealand eShop regulars.

A key update for the Switch 2 version

With the release of the edition Animal Crossing Nintendo Switch 2it is almost certain that the physical version will directly include the 3.0 update. Nintendo hasn’t confirmed whether it will be available separately at the same time, but it would be surprising if the new console arrived without updated content. This could also force Nintendo to release the update earlier than planned to avoid any inconsistencies between versions. Result: all players – classic Switch or Switch 2 – could benefit from it simultaneouslyeven in advance.