Within the Northern Hemisphere, Animal Crossing: New Horizons fall changes officially start to show on your island on September 1. You'll notice that the small island icon that shows up in the bottom right corner of your screen during loading times is a more yellowy hue. Additionally, when you shake your island's trees, you'll occasionally find acorns and pinecones.
However, you'll need to wait until October 1 to see some real changes. This includes the leaves changing color and the start of additional fall events. A few Fall characters visit your island, not to mention the Halloween and Thanksgiving activities to get excited about. Here's everything coming in the free Animal Crossing Fall Update.
How to download the Fall Update
If, for some reason, the Autumn festivities don't seem to have appeared in your game come October 1, then maybe you need to make sure your Switch downloaded the Fall update.
- From the Nintendo Switch's Home menu, hover over the Animal Crossing: New Horizons icon.
- Press +, and the game information will display.
- Scroll down to Software Update.
- Select Via the Internet. The Switch will check for any new versions and will download them if necessary.
- Select OK.
Once these steps have been taken, your Switch will search for any Animal Crossing: New Horizons updates it might not have already. Hopefully, that solves the issue and allows you to take part in the Halloween festivities.
Gifts in the mail
Source: iMore
You'll receive two gifts in the mail on October 1 after downloading the update.
- A picture of Jack, sent from the Czar of Halloween himself.
- A Ring-Con, like the one from Ring Fit Adventure, sent to you by Nintendo.
Leaves changing color
The most obvious change that comes with the Animal Crossing Fall Update is the leaves changing colors. Orange and red canopies will dapple your island while the grass also turns yellow—a stark contrast to the vibrant green we've seen for so many months. Nook's Cranny also changes its decor slightly by putting out pumpkins, a string of fall leaves, and featuring mushroom vinyls in the windows.
Buy candy from Nook's Cranny
During the month of October, players can purchase candy from the green cabinet in Nook's Cranny. Each piece costs 120 Bells, and you can only purchase one per day. We highly suggest stocking up on your candy horde throughout October, so you're better prepared to meet Jack on All Hallows Eve.
Pro tip: You can buy candy from the store of other islands you visit, even if the island's owner has already purchased the day's candy. Additionally, you can get a second piece of candy from visiting other islands if you already know the DIY recipe a resident offers to teach you.
Halloween costumes and character customization
Source: Nintendo (screenshot)
By purchasing fancy clothes from Able Sister's during October, you'll be able to dress your character up in festive attire. Additionally, several eye colors and body paint colors lets your character look more otherworldly. This includes things like having blue skin and yellow eyes. Have fun and get your character ready for Halloween!
Grow your own pumpkin patch
Look at those adorable little pumpkins! Don't you just want to have a picturesque patch? Pumpkin starts are available for purchase at the Nook's Cranny cabinet or from Leif the sloth beginning October 1. You're going to want to grow several pumpkins before Halloween if you want to craft all of the Halloween decorations.
New crafting materials and DIY recipes
Source: iMore and Nintendo (screenshot)
After September 1, players who have the DIY Recipes app unlocked will receive the Tree's Bounty Little Tree recipe from Isabelle after turning their games on. Additionally, she'll explain that acorns and pinecones can now fall from your island's trees. Starting October 1, players can purchase pumpkin starts and grow their own pumpkin patches. If you gather pumpkins, you'll be able to craft them into various Spooky Pumpkin DIY recipes during the month of October. Tend to your patch so you can get your island completely ready for this spooky night.
Then from November 1 - November 30 players will find mushrooms on their islands. There are five different kinds of fungi, and you can use them to craft super cute Mushroom DIY recipes for your island.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons Fall Update Characters & holidays
Two main characters appear during the Autumn season in Animal Crossing. Jack, the pumpkin-headed specter shows up around Halloween, and Franklin, the turkey chef shows up around Thanksgiving. If you do what they ask for, they can reward you with festive furniture and items.
Animal Crossing Fall Update
It's time to fall in love with Animal Crossing: New Horizons' changing leaves and upcoming Autumn characters. I'm especially looking forward to the Halloween activities and seeing Jack on my island.
Hopefully, these Autumn festivities prove to be a fun change for all you fellow Animal Crossing players out there.
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