Any indication of a new animal crossing ever to be released?

[th8827]

Probably whenever the Switch 2 (or whatever the next console is called) comes out.

 

[bcmii]

But eh, who knows, maybe they’ll decide after Splatoon 3 wraps that what the world really needs is, like, a full-fledged fashion design sim starring Label and Gracie helping your young tailor on the path to greatness, which includes way more variety in pro design options.

Oooh!!! I LOVE that idea. Somebody get Nintendo on the phone ASAP.

 

[windloft]

i wouldn't expect another ac to come out for 5 - 6+ years at least. ac games have been pretty spaced out in terms of release date except wild world and city folk with only a 3 year difference. most likely it'll be when a new nintendo console comes out will nintendo release a new mainline entry.

 

[~Kilza~]

Nintendo made over a billion dollars off of New Horizons—it’s looking to be one (if not) the bestselling game for the Switch.

I’d say there is less than zero percent likelihood that they won’t make another. And I’d also say there’s a very good chance that the gap in between this game and the next will be noticeably shorter than for previous installments.

While this admittedly is a comparison between two different series, so it's hard to make direct comparisons between the two, it's worth noting that AC:NH is currently the 2nd highest selling Switch game, trailing only Mario Kart 8 Deluxe by roughly 3 millon units. MK8D has been out for 4 and a half years now, and it's important to note that it is an enhanced port of MK8 which came out 7 and a half years ago. Despite the age of MK8/MK8D and the number of units sold, we still haven't had Mario Kart 9 even announced yet even though previous iterations of the series generally produced main series games within 3 years of each other on average. So it's not a guarantee that AC:NH selling well means there will be a new main series AC game sooner rather than later.

It's definitely unrealistic to think we'll get a new main series Animal Crossing game any time soon. They have been working on New Horizons and the Happy Home Paradise DLC this whole time, so it's unlikely they've even entered a pre-development phase for the next main series AC game. I do think it'll be years until we get a new main series Animal Crossing game. Probably not until 2025 at the very earliest, if I had to guess, though 2026-27 feels more realistic to me. It's likely we'll see a spin-off game or two during that time, though, given the game's popularity.

 

[Fey]

While this admittedly is a comparison between two different series, so it's hard to make direct comparisons between the two, it's worth noting that AC:NH is currently the 2nd highest selling Switch game, trailing only Mario Kart 8 Deluxe by roughly 3 millon units. MK8D has been out for 4 and a half years now, and it's important to note that it is an enhanced port of MK8 which came out 7 and a half years ago. Despite the age of MK8/MK8D and the number of units sold, we still haven't had Mario Kart 9 even announced yet even though previous iterations of the series generally produced main series games within 3 years of each other on average. So it's not a guarantee that AC:NH selling well means there will be a new main series AC game sooner rather than later.

It's definitely unrealistic to think we'll get a new main series Animal Crossing game any time soon. They have been working on New Horizons and the Happy Home Paradise DLC this whole time, so it's unlikely they've even entered a pre-development phase for the next main series AC game. I do think it'll be years until we get a new main series Animal Crossing game. Probably not until 2025 at the very earliest, if I had to guess, though 2026-27 feels more realistic to me. It's likely we'll see a spin-off game or two during that time, though, given the game's popularity.

Not gonna argue with you—I did only say there was a very good chance it’ll be sooner than previous installments, not that it was guaranteed. By “sooner” I just meant under the seven years it was last time.

The main takeaway from what I said was that the game has gone from being comparatively niche to mainstream, and that that very well might affect the treatment it gets.

Let’s be real though—I’d rather them take longer and actually release a full, finished game next time anyway.

 

[Junalt]

There‘s been a lot of rumours in the media recently about the next Switch currently being in the works and coming out maybe at the end of 2022 or 2023. I think that’s when we will see the next Animal Crossing - 2023 or 2024. I don’t think we’ll have to wait another 7 years. When I saw that this was going to be the last major update, I had the thought that part of that reason is because they want to move on to work on the next game.

 

[Croconaw]

There will definitely be another Animal Crossing main series game, especially considering the success of New Horizons. It would honestly surprise me if there wasn’t. I don’t see another game being announced, though, for quite some time. The gap between the main series game stretches about six to seven years, and I see that being the time frame for the next Animal Crossing. There is a possibility the wait could be shorter, but we honestly don’t know. I find it crazy how we are speculating the next main series game and the recent update for New Horizons hadn’t even released yet — it’s not November 5th.

 

[~Kilza~]

Not gonna argue with you—I did only say there was a very good chance it’ll be sooner than previous installments, not that it was guaranteed. By “sooner” I just meant under the seven years it was last time.

The main takeaway from what I said was that the game has gone from being comparatively niche to mainstream, and that that very well might affect the treatment it gets.

Let’s be real though—I’d rather them take longer and actually release a full, finished game next time anyway.

Yeah, I interpreted your post as referring to the 3-4 year gaps of the previous installments in addition to the 8 year gap between NL and NH rather than just the NL-NH gap, so that's fine.

I do think your last sentence definitely raises a good point. We've really hit a point in game development during the last few years where sequels to games are taking a lot longer than they have in the past (or, at the very least, it feels that way, lol), partly due to the magnitude of games these days, partly because people expect so much from big game developers like Nintendo these days. Given the blowback Nintendo received for how they handled New Horizons these past 18 months, I would definitely expect them to be a lot more gun-shy about releasing a new main series Animal Crossing game until they think it's fully ready and complete so that they can avoid the criticism that has plagued NH since it was released.

 

[Starboard]

I really wouldn't mind waiting years for the next installment, I spent so much money on this one already! (And will spend more with the DLC). I don't want to go through all that again too soon.

 

[Cakecrazy909]

their devs may be working on something? but even if they are then we shouldn't expect to see it for yeeeeeeeeears. games take ages to complete, they've barely had a chance to breathe. not to mention that i've heard they're the same team who works on splatoon- a franchise now getting a third game with support for the next few years,,

basically, dont expect a word from nintendo anytime soon, because all they'd have to show is probably a version that looks uncanny and barely works.

 

[Lotusblossom]

I hope it doesn't take as long as it did the last time for the next game just cause that was an awfully long time.. I remember I was still sitting in the cart asking my mum to buy me the old new leaf

 

[Orius]

I hope we won't see it for years, possibly a whole decade. Everytime one of these games release, it's always on a new platform. I don't want to buy a Switch 2 so soon, especially when I just bought mine a month ago.

 

[DarthGohan1]

2001 - Animal Crossing - N64/Gamecube
2005 - AC: Wild World - DS
2008 - AC: City Folk - Wii
2012 - AC: New Leaf - 3DS
2020 - AC: New Horizons - Switch

There has never been more than one Animal Crossing game per system, I don't think that will change, ACNH is very likely the only AC game for Switch.

The shortest gap between games is 3 years, Wild World to City Folk, however both the DS and Wii sold a ton of units, and one was handheld while the other was a console. I doubt Nintendo would release a brand new AC game 3 years apart given the singular focus on Switch now.

On the other hand, the 8 year gap between New Leaf and New Horizons was a long time to wait for a new AC game. This might be due to the fact that Wii U didn't sell a lot of units, and since AC was always a pretty niche game (before ACNH), Nintendo probably couldn't justify releasing it for Wii U.

So I don't think we'll have to wait 8 years again after the massive success ACNH was, but also longer than 3 years... my guess would be the next Animal Crossing game will come around 2024-2025, on the Switch's successor.

 

[Ace Marvel]

I highly doubt AC will ever be a launch game, and keeping it 100% the success of animal crossing NH was in part to the global quarantine. And I think they will consider that, also even though not direct competition, Pocket camp was not a part of previous releases.

I highly doubt we will have a new AC game in the first 2 years of the new console, so at least 4-5 years at least. Yes New Leaf was released 6 months after the 3ds release, but I doubt it.

Maybe considering that we won't likely have a spin off because of the DLC it can be earlier, but I doubt it.


For a cross-over with in game furniture maybe, we had 7 eleven and Sanrio ones.

 

[nightglow]

2001 - Animal Crossing - N64/Gamecube
2005 - AC: Wild World - DS
2008 - AC: City Folk - Wii
2012 - AC: New Leaf - 3DS
2020 - AC: New Horizons - Switch

There has never been more than one Animal Crossing game per system, I don't think that will change, ACNH is very likely the only AC game for Switch.

The shortest gap between games is 3 years, Wild World to City Folk, however both the DS and Wii sold a ton of units, and one was handheld while the other was a console. I doubt Nintendo would release a brand new AC game 3 years apart given the singular focus on Switch now.

On the other hand, the 8 year gap between New Leaf and New Horizons was a long time to wait for a new AC game. This might be due to the fact that Wii U didn't sell a lot of units, and since AC was always a pretty niche game (before ACNH), Nintendo probably couldn't justify releasing it for Wii U.

So I don't think we'll have to wait 8 years again after the massive success ACNH was, but also longer than 3 years... my guess would be the next Animal Crossing game will come around 2024-2025, on the Switch's successor.

I also wanted to add/mention, the welcome amiibo update of new leaf launched 2016, ending New Leaf.
4 years later, New Horizons came with all brand new graphics and animations that I would imagine will be used in the next game too. That took time and I am sure the WiiU stuff played a role in the 8 year thing which I never thought about.
In 2021, we have the last update and DLC ending New Horizons.
I also heard of complaints that there were many aspects that were the same between wild world and city folk? idk much about that. May explain the 3 year gap?
I think 4 year gap is a good estimate.
And the Switch is already 4 years old last March. Most consoles live 5-7 years. So the next Nintendo Console could be coming around in the next couple of years.

 

[VanitasFan26]

Buddy, I don't think there will be a new Animal Crossing game until maybe the next 6 to 8 years and it will be on the next Nintendo system whenever that gets announced.

 

[Raz]

To be honest, it's something I don't even think about. There's like zero chance I'll buy another console anytime soon (and by that I'm talking about ten years or so, if I ever buy another new console again), so ACNH is probably my last AC too.

It's a shame because AC is one of the few franchises I like enough to make me think about buying a console, but there's so many things that make it virtually impossible. I kinda accepted that fact already, so whenever the next AC, Mega Man, Street Fighter or KoF comes out and it's not available on the PS4 or on the Switch, I'll just be ok with that.

 

[Quaint]

Nintendo only does one mainline AC game per console so we won't be getting anything until after the next Nintendo console comes out.

 

[nocctea]

I wouldn't be surprised if there was a spinoff game in a couple of years, maybe near the end of the switch's lifespan. maybe a sequel to pocket camp? that would be fun! but it'll probably be after splatoon 3 releases, since it shares the acnh dev team. but as everyone else said, it might be a while before the next main game.