After months of silence regarding updates for Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Nintendo showed up in a big way. The free 2.0 update is adding a ton of new gameplay mechanics, design opportunities, and NPCs to the game. It will be the last major update for Animal Crossing: New Horizons, but it is well worth the wait.

One of the most exciting things being added with the new update is the new host of NPCs joining the game. One of New Horizons' biggest criticisms has been the lack of popular NPCs from previous games. With every update, fans have been predicting the return of older NPCs, and were usually met with disappointment. Now, however, at least five NPCs from older Animal Crossing games are ready to start living the island life.

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Brewster

By far, Brewster has been the most popular request among fans. Brewster's popularity is undeniable, and when Nintendo announced that he would be coming to New Horizons in September, fans were ecstatic. What many expected to be a small update showing Brewster in his element turned out to be something much larger, but the reveal of Brewster's coffee shop, The Roost, started things off with a bang.

Players can go to The Roost to hang out with Brewster and enjoy a cup of coffee for 200 Bells. Just like in previous games, other residents can join the player in The Roost and enjoy a relaxing coffee break together. Specific characters can also be invited for a coffee date by using their amiibos. Finally, players have the option to invite other friends to The Roost and hang out together. The soundtrack and the interior of the coffee shop are charming, and it will give players a reason to go to the museum more often.

Kapp'n

Kapp'n is another NPC that has been frequently requested by players, primarily because of how well he and his boat would fit in by the docks. It was revealed in the Animal Crossing direct that on November 5, that's exactly where he'll be. Thankfully, though, Kapp'n isn't replacing or even really competing with Dodo Airlines. He serves an entirely different purpose. With Kapp'n, players can visit mysterious islands for 1,000 Nook Miles. These islands are different from the Dodo Airlines islands because they can feature unique plants and transport players to different seasons or times of day.

Kapp'n was a sailor in the original Animal Crossing game, but since then he has worked in many forms of transportation. In New Horizons, Kapp'n is going back to his roots as a sailor once more. And of course, Kapp'n wouldn't be Kapp'n without his sea shanties. Only time will tell exactly how many of Kapp'n's songs made the cut for New Horizons or how many new ones there are, but players will get to be ferried across the ocean while listening to one of Kapp'n's many sea shanties.

Harriet

Harriet is a pink poodle from previous Animal Crossing games that seemed to be out of a job with New Horizons. One of the biggest changes from previous games is the sheer amount of customization options available in New Horizons. In City Folk and New Leaf, Harriet runs a salon called Shampoodle. With her help, players were able to change their appearance and hairstyle for a fee. In New Horizons, players can change any aspect of their appearance on their own simply by interacting with a mirror, so Harriet wasn't predicted to join New Horizons very often.

However, it looks like she is coming and setting up on Harv's Island, along with many other NPCs. She doesn't have a whole shop, but she can help the player learn some brand new hairstyles. A new collection called "Hairstyles by Harriet" adds 11 new hairstyle options, and Harriet's involvement isn't necessary to select a new hairstyle. It's unclear if there will be some sort of process or rapport to build with Harriet before gaining access to the hairstyles, or what Harriet will do after teaching the player new hairstyles, but it's exciting to see her come to New Horizons with the new update.

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Katrina

Katrina is a fortune-telling panther that will be joining New Horizons on Harv's Island. She's been in every Animal Crossing game so far, and is one of the most popular NPCs due to her vibrant and unique design. With each game, Katrina's role has expanded. In the first games she simply told players their fortune, but in City Folk, she was able to give players fortunes that would actually come true and cast charms. In New Leaf, she tells fortunes in a similar way and transports the player to the Star Matrix.

The specifics of Katrina's role in New Horizons aren't known yet, as she was only shown telling a fortune with a glowing crystal ball. Hopefully, though, her role will continue to deepen and the fortunes she tells will have consequences afterwards. Even if not, her fortune telling stand looks as colorful and fun as ever, and the animations are striking.

Tortimer

Tortimer is another popular NPC that has been in nearly every Animal Crossing game apart from the original Animal Forest. The elderly tortoise is the mayor in most Animal Crossing games, but his run ended in New Leaf when he retired to Tortimer Island with his family. Now in New Horizons, he's relocating to a trailer on Harv's Island with Katrina and several other NPCs. Some fans thought Tortimer was dead, so seeing him alive is a big deal.

Not much is known about what his role will be, but the clip of him in the Animal Crossing Direct suggested that he'll help with inventory management. Players will be able to use Tortimer to put items into their storage and take items out. The New Horizons 2.0 update is doing a lot to help players manage storage by adding special closets that can be placed throughout the island and expanding storage capacity to a maximum of 5,000 items, and Tortimer seems to be another way to help players make the most of their inventory and storage space.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is available now on Nintendo Switch, and the 2.0 update will be available on November 5th.

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