Animal Crossing: New Horizons Version 3.0 Update Is NOW AVAILABLE EARLY!

Our wait is over — the major Version 3.0 Update for Animal Crossing: New Horizons is now available for download on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2!

Today’s release comes as a welcome surprise far earlier than what many were expecting, given that it’s now been released at just 3AM Pacific Time on January 14th, when the update was officially advertised for launch on January 15th. (humblebrag: we predicted this!)

Your copy of Animal Crossing: New Horizons should update automatically, but if for some reason it doesn’t, you can manually trigger available updates by pressing the + button on the Animal Crossing: New Horizons home screen icon, selecting Software Update, and hitting Via the Internet.

Upon starting up Version 3.0 for the first time, you’ll be prompted with a save data conversion screen that will quickly update your save file for the new version, and then load the game with that shiny new Version 3.0 marker in the top right!

Be on the lookout for a new morning announcement from Isabelle sharing the latest news on the Resort Hotel’s opening — it seems that islands which are already developed prior to the update have instant access without any waiting period to build it. That’s a nice treat for those of us who have been anticipating the new features so much.

After walking over to the hotel on your island’s pier (left or right side, depending on your layout), just head inside for an introduction from Tom Nook, alongside Kapp’n and his wife Leilani on what you can do to help attract visitors!

Waiting for Patch Notes

We’ll update this article as soon as Nintendo publishes any official patch notes for the Version 3.0 — so far they’re keeping their lips sealed!

This article will be updated periodically throughout the day as we learn and discover new information about the update, so check back soon.

Ongoing Server Maintenance

One reason that the patch notes publication from Nintendo may be delayed is that Animal Crossing: New Horizons online services are currently still down for maintenance.

The servers first went offline at about 2AM Pacific Time, an hour prior to the update’s release, but were scheduled to come back online around 3:30AM PST.

Since then, the Japanese customer service X account for Nintendo has shared an update apologizing for an extension of server maintenance until 5AM Pacific Time. We suspect it’s possible the patch notes will be released around then.

What About Nintendo Switch 2 Edition & Upgrade Pack?

Since the Version 3.0 update is available for both the original Nintendo Switch and the new Nintendo Switch 2, it’s being treated as a completely separate ‘piece’ from the new Upgrade Pack. All indications point to that digital downloads from the Nintendo eShop will unlock at the typical launch time near midnight for your region.

For example, if you purchased your copy from the North America eShop, we expect that the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition version will likely unlock on your system around 9PM Pacific Time or 12AM Eastern Time later tonight as we approach the official launch date of January 15th.

So while you can enjoy all of the new content in Version 3.0, you may just need to wait a little longer to get your hands on the increased 4K resolution graphics, Joy-Con 2 mouse controls and more that come in Nintendo Switch 2 Edition!

Help Us Out In The Comments!

With such a major update, there’s only so much we can cover on our own, so please do feel free to leave us helpful comments with any information you’d like to share about what you discover in Version 3.0!

Stay tuned to Animal Crossing World for everything on the upcoming Version 3.0 Update of Animal Crossing: New Horizons! Follow us on X, Facebook, Bluesky, and our mailing list below for updates. Or check out our most popular guides like Redd Art, Bush Types & Colors, Villager Houses, Sea Creatures, and K.K. Slider Songs.