Animal Crossing: New Horizons has been one of Nintendo's most successful titles in the 2020s, after being released during a worldwide pandemic and being the perfect escape for those who needed a pleasant distraction. It is still widely considered one of the best Animal Crossing games ever made, so whatever comes next for the franchise certainly has big shoes to fill. Unfortunately, news of the next Animal Crossing has only been fueled by rumors up to this point, with some rumors even pointing to 2026 as a potential release year for the game. As such, fans will likely need to wait a couple more years before they see what's next for the series.