Despite a planned release date for November 5, Animal Crossing: New Horizons has surprised players by dropping the 2.0 update several days early. The heavily anticipated expansion will introduce content showcased at the Nintendo Direct for Animal Crossing back in October, as well as other new ways for players to enjoy island life. However, the update may require an extra step for some, with many noticing the download isn't populating automatically when opening the game.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons struggled with a summer lacking in large content updates both in base gameplay and seasonal events. This was a frustrating problem for fans, who had been enjoying the expansive updates from 2020, like the swimming and diving additions during the summer of last year, as well as the pumpkin farming introduced during the fall. However, Nintendo has pulled out the stops for the final free update, and the 2.0 version of New Horizons will include both new base content and locations, like the fan-requested Brewster and his Café.

Related: Animal Crossing NPCs Returning in New Horizons’ 2.0 Update

According to IGNAnimal Crossing: New Horizons' 2.0 update is live now, two days earlier than expected. However, this will not include the upcoming DLC Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Happy Home Paradise, which is still set to release on November 5. Players who have the 1.11.1 version showing up on the title screen when they open New Horizons will need to close the game and press the "+" button on their Nintendo Switch console. From here, the "Software Update" tab will allow players to force download the update over the internet. The update will take a few minutes, and will require just over 3 GB of space, so players will want to ensure they have room before updating their game.

Animal Crossing New Horizons Farming And Cooking Crops

The 2.0 update for New Horizons has expanded on many features that have become popular since the game's release. Farming has been greatly increased, offering players the ability to grow crops like tomatoes, wheat, carrots, and other vegetables and cooking ingredients. Kitchens will also be functional after the update, allowing players to cook edible dishes, instead of pushing decorative food items through the Seasonal tab of the Nook Shopping app. Brewster's Café, Kapp'ns Island Tours, and expansions on Harv's Island will make traveling more rewarding for those who no longer need island tours as well, adding new adventures to New Horizons' gameplay.

The headstart into the early 2.0 New Horizons update will allow fans a few days to check out new features before the Happy Home Paradise DLC releases, which could be good for those who decided to restart their home islands in anticipation of the upcoming content release date. With so many exciting new ways to enjoy the game, hopefully, Animal Crossing: New Horizons will see the boost it's been needing to stay popular with players.

Next: All New Gyroids In Animal Crossing 2.0

Source: IGN