What you need to know
- Nintendo announced paid downloadable content for Animal Crossing: New Horizons in the October Animal Crossing Direct.
- The DLC can be purchased individually or accessed via the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack.
- However, those with a lapsed Expansion Pack subscription will lose access to the Animal Crossing downloadable content.
Fans of Animal Crossing: New Horizons were extremely excited about the contents of the October 2021 Animal Crossing Direct. A huge free update is expected to launch on November 5, 2021, as well as paid downloadable content similar to the Happy Home Designer spinoff on the Nintendo 3DS. This paid DLC, called the Happy Home Paradise DLC, is available as an individual purchase for $24.99. Alternatively, it can be accessed for free for those who subscribe to the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack, which costs $49.99 per year for an individual subscription or $79.99 per year for a Family Membership plan.
Some users had questions, however, just like the user Velidae on Reddit. What happens if your subscription to Nintendo Switch Online lapses? Will you lose access to the DLC? If you've incorporated new customization features and furniture items exclusive to the DLC, do you lose those as well? Velidae took to Nintendo's customer service chat and got a swift and comprehensive answer.
It seems that players who purchase the Happy Home Paradise DLC separately for $25 will always be able to access the archipelago and all of its content, whenever they want. Anyone who depends on the Expansion Pack subscription to access this content will lose their access to the DLC area if they are no longer subscribed or are removed from a family plan.
However, if you have brought items and services from the DLC to your main island, such as the ability to build walls or use exclusive furniture, you will always be able to access this on your main island, even if your Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack subscription lapses.
Therefore, it's safer to purchase this content separately if you're on an individual subscription and wish to have continued access to all the DLC content. Of course, at $25, it's quite steep to purchase separate copies of the DLC when you have multiple people on a Family Membership plan. Therefore, it seems more economically feasible for family members to access the DLC through the Expansion Pack subscription.
There's no word on whether you need to be connected to the internet to access the Happy Home Paradise DLC through the Expansion Pack subscription, but we'll be sure to update you if new information arises. The Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack launches on October 25, 2021. The Happy Home Paradise DLC for Animal Crossing: New Horizons launches on November 5, 2021, with pre-orders for the DLC starting on October 29 on the Nintendo Switch eShop.
Just chillaxing in paradise
Embark on a new journey with Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Move in on a deserted island, make friends with the locals, and decorate your entire town! Curate your experience and live the way YOU want.
