Players are now able to swim in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, but even though the update sounds promising, it has had serious ramifications for the game. Particularly, if the problem persists, it will have important consequences for the game’s economy.
The summer update for Animal Crossing: New Horizons launched on July 3rd, and one of the new opportunities it gives players is to swim freely in the ocean. Previously, if players tried to go in the water, they would be stopped by an invisible barrier. But now, players can simply move their joystick towards the waves and their character will dive in head-first. Simply purchase a wet suit in-game and get swimming.
This new Animal Crossing: New Horizons update gives players the chance to collect unique items. Some rare items can be donated to the museum by turning them in to the curator, Blathers. Or, if player stumble across scallops, they can use them craft DIY mermaid-themed furniture for their home. But even though this update provides players with plenty of new benefits, it also has a major disadvantage, particularly for traders.
The Problem With Animal Crossing’s Swimming Update
Having the option to swim in Animal Crossing may seem cool at first, but as it turns out, it has serious implications for the trading economy in the game. With players being able to now freely jump into the sea, it means players can also jump off the airport’s pier and then swim to the nearest beach. Previously, players could erect fences around their island’s airport to prevent strangers from running rampant and causing trouble on their turf. But now any fences are ineffective since players can just jump off the airport pier and head towards land. From there, the player can cause a variety of trouble on the other player’s island, from ruining their landscape to stealing dropped items – and this is the problem.
Recently, Swap Shops have become a lucrative business in Animal Crossing, with players setting up makeshift storefronts to trade items they no longer need. There was already an issue with “shoppers” stealing items when the player hosting the swap shop wasn’t looking, but now it’s even easier to commit an in-game crime with the number of players that can simply swim up to an island and wreak havoc. And it’s not only Swap Shops that are suffering. Unwanted island visitors have been known to steal all sorts of dropped items thanks to the new swimming update, leaving nothing safe.
Some Animal Crossing: New Horizons players have begun constructing fences around their beaches to prevent unwanted visitors from sneakily showing up on their shores. But not only is that a time-consuming process, but it also requires a decent amount of in-game currency, making it a not-so-attractive option. Others are demanding Nintendo simply remove the update and the game goes back to its previous version. Given the problems the new summer update has caused the Animal Crossing: New Horizons community, however, it likely won’t be long until Nintendo directly addresses the swimming controversy.