Those big Animal Crossing and Splatoon updates are meant to be a pathway for fans to migrate to Switch 2 at their own pace, Nintendo says

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Those big Animal Crossing and Splatoon updates are meant to be a pathway for fans to migrate to Switch 2 at their own pace, Nintendo says News By Jordan Gerblick published 4 February 2026

So that's what they're up to

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Nintendo kicked off 2026 with huge updates for popular games that launched years ago on the original Switch. Animal Crossing: New Horizons' transformative 3.0 update added a new hotel feature that brings offshore strangers to your island as tourists and juiced up visuals on Switch 2, while Splatoon's unexpectedly meaty 11.0.0 update made some major gameplay changes, like the new Flow Aura mechanic for kill streaks and health bars displaying approximate HP for allies and opponents.

During Nintendo's latest investor presentation, president Shuntaro Furukawa explained the company's philosophy on releasing such big updates for legacy Switch titles. It's worth noting that we ran this quote through machine translation, so Furukawa's precise wording is unclear:

"To promote the adoption of a new platform, it is essential to release new titles on a regular basis. Furthermore, as we progress with the transition from Switch to Switch 2 over the coming years, we consider it extremely important to maintain our connection with customers who are already familiar with Nintendo hardware," said Furukawa.

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• After a huge Animal Crossing: New Horizons patch was announced out of nowhere, Nintendo says it's "constantly considering" the balance of new Switch 2 games and big updates
• Despite shifting its "primary development focus to Nintendo Switch 2", Nintendo still plans on making games for the original Switch, and hopes fans will continue to play old ones, too
• Six years later, the Animal Crossing: New Horizons Switch 2 and Update 3.0 have hooked me back into this cozy world thanks to these five fresh features

"In this sense, we aimed to update major Switch titles like Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Splatoon 3 at this juncture. This allows more people to continue playing on Switch while creating a pathway for customers to migrate to Switch 2 at their own pace, particularly when new titles of interest launch. From this perspective, we see value in updating software for the widely adopted Switch to sustain its operational base and encourage players to revisit these titles."

Relevant here is the fact that both Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Splatoon 3 were both recently updated with content that works on the original Switch hardware, as well as upgrades specific to Switch 2. It sounds like Nintendo's strategy is to pull back lapsed players on OG Switch with some cool new stuff only to remind them that, hey, it just so happens this game is even better on Switch 2. Wink, wink.

Speaking of: If you just got a Nintendo Switch 2, here's everything you need to set it up

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Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. CATEGORIES Nintendo Switch 2 Nintendo Switch Platforms Nintendo PRODUCTS Animal Crossing: New Horizons Splatoon 3 Jordan GerblickSocial Links Navigation

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.

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Logout Read more After a huge Animal Crossing: New Horizons patch was announced out of nowhere, Nintendo says it's "constantly considering" the balance of new Switch 2 games and big updates    Despite shifting its "primary development focus to Nintendo Switch 2", Nintendo still plans on making games for the original Switch, and hopes fans will continue to play old ones, too    Six years later, the Animal Crossing: New Horizons Switch 2 and Update 3.0 have hooked me back into this cozy world thanks to these five fresh features    On the Radar with Animal Crossing: New Horizons    Here's everything new in the Animal Crossing New Horizons 3.0 update, including the Hotel and Zelda stuff    What to expect from the Switch 2 in 2026: Pokemon and Zelda celebrations, tons of ports, and comfort Nintendo food    Latest in Animal Crossing UK Nintendo fans this is not a drill, Animal Crossing amiibo cards are back    The new Animal Crossing New Horizons merch at Nintendo is too cute to handle, but it's UK only for now    I love Animal Crossing: New Horizons Slumber Islands, but it could’ve been so much better if they added these features    On the Radar with Animal Crossing: New Horizons    I spent hours working on the Animal Crossing: New Horizons resort hotel and it was worth every minute    Here are the amiibos you need to invite Mineru or Tulin to your Animal Crossing New Horizons island    Latest in News Blizzard renames Overwatch 2 to Overwatch years after deciding Overwatch was Overwatch 2 which was still Overwatch    Nintendo says those Animal Crossing and Splatoon updates are there so players can migrate to Switch 2 at their own pace    Legendary Journey composer dedicates his Grammy win to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33    Original Prince of Persia creator Jordan Mechner reacts to Ubisoft's "brutal" cancellation of Sands of Time remake    Helldivers 2 finally brings back underrated service technician, whose voice actor is "so happy" to be returning    Peak's "8 bucks is still 5 bucks" view is an honest look at "vibes pricing" across the industry, analyst says    GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS

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