Next FREE Animal Crossing update hits this week: Festivale, Valentine’s Day, more

We now have details on the next free Animal Crossing update, courtesy of Nintendo. A trailer to highlight some of the upcoming events hit this morning alongside fresh new details on the upcoming Festivale and Valentine’s Day events, as well as all of the in-game goodies that come along with them. Head below for more information, launch dates, and to take a look at today’s trailer for yourself. 

Next free Animal Crossing update

Last we heard on the Animal Crossing New Horizons update front, Nintendo dropped a series of fall-themed goodies followed by the Halloween seasonal content. But now, it’s all about the season of love and the upcoming Festivale. 

Before the Carnival-inspired Festivale event kicks off in mid-February, the next free Animal Crossing update will see a series of Valentine’s Day goodies hit the Nook Shop (and via Nook Shopping). Starting on February 1, and running through until Valentine’s Day, players will find chocolate treats and heart-shaped trinkets to celebrate. 

Once the Animal Crossing Valentine’s Day update has lapsed, Nintendo will re-launch Festivale — a sort of in-game event based on the real-world Carnival celebration that takes place before Lent and Mardi Gras. Originally debuting in 2008’s Animal Crossing: City Folk, Festivale will see the return of Pavé, the carnival-loving, colorful dancing peacock. Along with several new interactions players can have with Pavé, the free Animal Crossing update puts a series of colorful feathers around the island to collect that can then be returned to Pavé to see even more of its dance moves. 

On top of that, the February 15 Festivale update also has new goodies by way of the Viva Festival Reaction Set players can purchase at Nook’s Cranny for a limited time. It includes things like “Confetti, Feelin’ It, and Let’s Go, Viva.” Able Sisters’ shop is where players will find new limited-time cosmetic fashion items and accessories. 

The next free Animal Crossing update is scheduled to be made available on January 28, right before the February 1 Valentine’s Day and February 15 Festivale content arrives. 

9to5Toys’ Take

We have already said Animal Crossing New Horizons is “absolutely deserving of being on each and every Switch owners’ console” in our hands-on review, and it clearly just keeps getting better. While not always the most substantial, constant updates bring new content and goodies to the experience completely free of charge to existing players, significantly increasing the value of the initial investment on a regular basis. Switch releases might have slowed down considerably over the last several months, but Pavé is back and regular Animal Crossing fans are now just two days away from an influx of new content to refresh the experience once again. 

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