Animal Crossing: New Horizons Free January Update Now Live

The next free update for the smash hit Nintendo Switch game Animal Crossing: New Horizons has arrived. The version 1.7.0 update is now live, adding the Festivale event, new seasonal items, and more to the popular life sim. On top of that, everyone who downloads the update will receive a set of maracas. You'll find these waiting for you in the mail after installing the update.

The Festivale event begins on February 15 when Pave arrives on your island to "usher in some confetti and carnival spirit." On the day, players can capture feathers with their net and trade them in to learn dance moves. If you spot a rainbow feather, you'll want to try extra hard to catch this one, Nintendo said.

The update also adds new reactions for Festivale, and you can buy these through the Viva Festival Reaction Set from Nook's Cranny. It comes with the Feelin' It, Let's Go, Viva, and Confetti reactions. These reactions are only on sale for a limited time.

Nintendo is also adding new clothing to New Horizons on February 1 in the form of special Festivale outfits that you can wear to "get your Festivale groove on in style."

There will also be more seasonal items available to purchase, including chocolate hearts and heart-shaped bouquets for Valentine's Day (available February 1-14), along with other items for Groundhog Day, the Super Bowl, and other major events in February.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons Festivale Event Details:

(Descriptions via Nintendo)

• Festivale Event – Feel the heat with the colorful Festivale event filled with dancing and flying feathers! On Feb. 15, Dancer Pavé will arrive to your island’s plaza to usher in some confetti and carnival spirit. On the day of the event you can capture colorful feathers floating on your island with your net and trade them to Pavé to receive a passionate dance number in return. Rainbow feathers seem to be an especially rare sight, so be sure to catch them and trade them with Pavé. Invite friends over to your island or visit theirs to partake in the festivities together.
• New Reactions – If you want to express your excitement for Festivale, you’ll now have a range of new Reactions to choose from. The Viva Festival Reaction Set can be purchased with in-game Bells from the shelf at Nook’s Cranny for a limited time and includes Feelin’ It, Let’s Go, Viva and Confetti.
• New Clothing – Starting Feb. 1, Festivale clothing will be available at the Able Sisters shop for a limited time. Now you can get your Festivale groove on in style with these fashionable looks!
• Seasonal Items – Make sure to keep an eye out for seasonal items at the Nook Stop in Resident Services and through Nook Shopping. Celebrate the sentimental season with chocolate hearts and heart-shaped bouquets, which will be available for purchase beginning Feb. 1 and running through Feb. 14. There will also be other items related to Groundhog Day and Big Game Celebration available for certain periods during January and February!

Another update for New Horizons is slated to arrive in March, so the popular game will only grow and expand further throughout 2021. The end of the new trailer seems to be suggest that the March update will be focused on Mario or the wider Mushroom Kingdom. Nintendo had previously confirmed that a line of Mario-themed furniture is coming to New Horizons this March to celebrate the Super Mario series' 35th anniversary.

What's more, Nintendo will release the Animal Crossing Sanrio Collaboration Pack at Target stores in the US starting March 26. This $6 USD bundle comes with all six Amiibo cards from the Sanrio Collaboration Series. The cards can be used in New Horizons to unlock special Animal Crossing x Sanrio posters for your house. The cards also work with other "compatible games," but Nintendo is saving the specifics for later.

New Horizons has sold more than 26 million copies as of September 30, according to Nintendo's latest data. The number surely grew higher during the holiday shopping season, and a new sales number for the game is expected to be divulged when Nintendo announces its next earnings report on February 1.

In other news, two new Animal Crossing Switch controllers are being released next month. The controllers launch on February 14 and feature designs of Tom Nook and Isabelle.