Animal Crossing Update Drops Interest Rates, But Hey, At Least You Get A Rug

The new Animal Crossing: New Horizons update is out, and there's a lot to get excited about. It introduces two new visitors from the series' past, Leif and Redd, and coincides with the start of the next seasonal event, Nature Day. But when you first boot up the game and walk out of your front door, you'll have at least one piece of mail waiting for you--one from the Bank of Nook--informing you of another change to the game that isn't specifically outlined in the patch notes.

As the letter explains, interest rates for savings accounts have been reduced. No specific figures are shared, but if you're anything like me, you'll immediately think, "There was interest from using the ABD's savings account?" I remember interest being a thing that would accrue on the first day of the month in past games, but I've been far too eager to spend my income amassing a collection of ramps and bridges on my island (along with the occasional house upgrade) to have actually left money in my savings account so far.

And it's not as if the game makes it abundantly clear you'll earn interest--like so many other things, such as how to upgrade Nook's Cranny, the game doesn't really explain how things work. The savings account in this game could have just been a place to store your excess bells while waiting to pay off a big loan.

Whatever your reaction to the news contained in the letter, it is accompanied by a gift: the bell-bag rug, which is literally just a giant bell bag that adorns your floor. What is the intended messaging here? To rue all of the accumulated interest you missed out on before interest rates were lowered? To continue depositing your bells in the ABD? Is it a bribe to avoid investigating antitrust laws and how they could apply to monopolistic banks? Either way, the rug is nicer looking than most of the garbage that Saharah has sold me so far.

Elsewhere in the update, Leif has arrived with shrubs, and Nature Day is underway. (Alongside the letter from the bank, you should get one from Nintendo as well that includes a world map to hang on your wall). Blathers also teases the impending expansion of the museum to include art, which will require a visit from Redd, who hasn't shown up for me yet. On the bright side, at least my store is open again, although it seems like another wave of players are dealing with the pain of Nook's Cranny being closed today.