Animal Crossing: New Horizons is undoubtedly one of Nintendo's most successful games, especially since it sold more than 20 million copies in under a year. As the game approaches its first year in the market, Nintendo assured players that it would continue introducing updates for the foreseeable future.
Although players have already seen the annual events that Animal Crossing: New Horizons has in store, it is yet to be revealed how the deserted island will celebrate Valentine's day, given that the game was released in March of 2020. In previous installments, villagers will hint to players whether they intend to send chocolates to a special someone a week before Valentine's Day. While it is yet to be seen whether this tradition will carry over to New Horizons, here is everything players should expect to see on Valentine's Day.
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Yesterday, Nintendo released a video update detailing a new event that players will encounter in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. This event is called Festivale and will see the return of the peacock villager named Pave, who was first seen in Animal Crossing: New Leaf on the 3DS. It is worth noting that the Festivale will be celebrated in Animal Crossing: New Horizons on February 15th, and while that is a day after Valentine's Day, it is likely the only major event closest to the actual holiday.
Like previous Animal Crossing: New Horizons holiday events, Festivale will have players reach a specific goal. On February 15, players will notice colored feathers falling from the sky, and they must utilize their nets to catch these objects and deliver them to Pave. Certain event-exclusive rewards will likely be given to players depending on the number of feathers they turn over to Pave. The Festivale event will conclude at night time, and players will be allowed to pose for a cool photo.
Apart from the Festivale event, it is likely that Nintendo will return Valentine's Day traditions as seen in previous Animal Crossing games. In Animal Crossing, City Folk, New Leaf, and Pocket Camp, players would often receive letters and gifts from several villagers, and the more popular the player is, the better the gift will be. Given that Animal Crossing: New Horizons has since introduced players' ability to create their own items in-game, it is likely that Valentine's Day specific DIY recipes will also be handed out during the holiday.
Additionally, there is also a tradition in previous Animal Crossing games where villagers hint that they intend to send out chocolates to certain villagers or the player. This is based on how deep the player's relationship with a certain villager is, so players who have been neglecting their socialization duties should now start befriending their neighbors to receive special gifts during Valentine's Day.
Lastly, similar to previous Animal Crossing: New Horizons events, Nintendo will likely introduce special items that best reflect the holiday being celebrated. Although there are many possibilities for Valentine's Day-themed items, players should expect to see new DIY recipes and materials to collect that could only be obtained during Valentine's Day. Moreover, special items may also be available through Nook shopping and Nook's Cranny, and the Able Sisters are likely to update their wardrobe selections in celebration of Valentine's Day.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is out now exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
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