One of the most highly requested features for Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the re-introduction of Brewster and The Roost, a café that was present in previous titles in the franchise. Thus far, the feature has yet to be added to New Horizons, but that hasn't stopped fans from theorizing about its eventual return. What could Animal Crossing do differently if it were to bring The Roost back into the series?
In previous games, The Roost largely served as an opportunity to experience new forms of gameplay. For instance, players could store gyroids there, which were a unique furniture item that could be dug out of the ground and used to add musical tones to the player's house. It also served as the location for K.K. Slider's concerts before the town square was utilized in New Horizons. In Animal Crossing: New Leaf, players could even work at The Roost, providing coffee to villagers and special visitors that entered the café. More features were unlocked the more time was spent with Brewster, additionally providing incentive to form a friendship with him throughout the game.
Despite how much of the community has been asking for The Roost and Brewster to return in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, it's yet to have been re-introduced in the year or more following the game's initial release. New Horizons has already received several large updates, but as of late it seems as though Nintendo has been focusing less and less on the game - particularly as this year's E3 Expo came and went with almost no acknowledgment of the future of New Horizons. Although there have been a few leaks regarding potential upcoming changes, such as island expansions, nothing has come of them as of yet, leaving plenty of room for speculation regarding what prospective new features could look like.
What New Horizons Could Do With Brewster's Roost
In other Animal Crossing titles, the café was located under the museum, and it seems probable that this would be the case were it to be added into New Horizons as well. Given how long the game has been out, and how meticulous some players tend to get when it comes to island customization and excessive terraforming, expecting them to find room for an entirely new building seems unlikely - unless, of course, The Roost were to come after that rumored Animal Crossing island expansion update. Given that K.K. Slider has a new area to perform concerts in, New Horizons also probably won't add a space for him in The Roost, meaning that the café could be small enough to easily fit into the existing museum structure.
Adding back in the opportunity to play as a barista could provide a unique way to introduce returning characters from the series who have yet to appear in New Horizons. NPCs like Joan and Pelly, who no longer have a role as of the latest title in the franchise, could be brought back as customers in The Roost. New Horizons could also let the café function as more of a minigame, adding additional gameplay variety to keep New Horizons feeling fresh. Alternatively, it could simply be used to let players flesh out their relationships with the villagers on their island. Regardless of how they choose to approach it, it seems like letting Brewster and The Roost return to Animal Crossing: New Horizons would be a good step forward for the game.