The release ofAnimal Crossing: New Horizonsis now less than two months away, and officially-confirmed details about this highly-anticipated game still remain relatively sparse. Indeed, Nintendo has yet to give players an extremely thorough look atAnimal Crossing: New Horizons, and fans have thus been turning to alternative sources for information. One such source is the game’s official ESRB rating description, which suggests thatACNHmay have DLC, microtransactions, or both.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons' ESRB rating states that the title will have “in-game purchases,” which is likely to bring the idea ofmicrotransactionsto mind for many players. Certainly, with the vast array of collectibles and cosmetics that are sure to be found inAnimal Crossing: New Horizons, it is not difficult to imagine how microtransactions might be implemented, and perhaps fans will find that they can purchase the game’s clothing, furniture, and more with real world money.
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However, it is also possible that the in-game purchases being referred to by the ESRB rating description are paidAnimal Crossing: New HorizonsDLC packages that may be planned for the future. This scenario is something that fans saw recently withPokemon SwordandShield, which were also said to contain in-game purchases that ultimately turned out to be paid DLC, and it would thus not be extremely surprising if this was again the case withAnimal Crossing: New Horizons.
As with microtransactions, it is easy to imagineAnimal Crossing: New Horizonswith DLC, and ongoing post-launch support could be a great way to keep players engaged with the title. This DLC could manifest as new sets of furniture and clothing or even new islands to explore, and assuming that the price is right, there are undoubtedly manyAnimal Crossingfansthat would be happy to extend their time with the game through add-ons.
That said, without Nintendo’s official confirmation neither microtransactions nor DLC can be considered definitive. Hopefully this is something the developer will touch on soon, perhaps in the rumoredFebruary 2020 Nintendo Direct, giving fans a better sense of exactly what they can expect fromAnimal Crossing: New Horizons.
Animal Crossing: New Horizonsreleases on July 16, 2025, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
