Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Happy Home Paradise and Version 2.0.0 FAQ

Applies to:  Nintendo Switch Family, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite, Nintendo Switch - OLED Model


In this article, you'll learn about the Happy Home Paradise DLC for Animal Crossing: New Horizons and the free version 2.0.0 software update that will add new features to Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

About Animal Crossing: New HorizonsHappy Home Paradise

What is included in Animal Crossing: New HorizonsHappy Home Paradise DLC?

  • In Animal Crossing: New HorizonsHappy Home Paradise, you’ll travel to an archipelago of charming islands where you can design vacation homes for clients as well as decorate island facilities. You’ll get to...
    • Design room interiors
    • Cultivate gardens and exteriors
    • Earn and redeem Poki on new furniture
    • Make remodeling and other suggestions, including sharing a vacation home
    • Bring your techniques and redeemed items back to the main island

Can I play the Happy Home Paradise content if I don’t have Animal Crossing: New Horizons?

The full Animal Crossing: New Horizons game is needed to play Animal Crossing: New HorizonsHappy Home Paradise, which is sold separately.

Can Series 5 amiibo cards which relate to Animal Crossing: New HorizonsHappy Home Paradise be used without using the DLC? Can these characters be invited to the Roost or to the campsite?

Special NPCs (including those featured in the Series 5 Animal Crossing amiibo cards) can be invited to The Roost, but they cannot be invited to the campsite or live on the player’s island.

Regular NPCs can be invited both to The Roost and the campsite.

Can polishing be used on all items?

Polishing can only be used on items placed inside a house

What is the limit to clients you can build a resort home for?

You can decorate resort homes for all available Animal Crossing: New Horizons NPCs. The archipelago map represents different types of islands to build homes on and not the amount of house slots available.

How to Get Animal Crossing: New HorizonsHappy Home Paradise

How can I get access to Animal Crossing: New HorizonsHappy Home Paradise in order to play it?

Users can either play Animal Crossing: New HorizonsHappy Home Paradise by purchasing it in Nintendo eShop for $24.99, or by downloading it at no additional cost with an active Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership.

For more information, see How to Access Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Happy Home Paradise.

What are the differences between those two methods of purchasing?

Players who purchase the Animal Crossing: New HorizonsHappy Home Paradise DLC can play it indefinitely. For members of Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, it is possible to play Animal Crossing: New HorizonsHappy Home Paradise for the duration of an active membership.

If you do not renew your membership for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, it’s not possible to play Animal Crossing: New HorizonsHappy Home Paradise unless it has been purchased separately.

The save data for Animal Crossing: New HorizonsHappy Home Paradise is stored on the console, so after becoming a member of Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack again (or purchasing Animal Crossing: New HorizonsHappy Home Paradise separately), it is possible to continue playing where players left off.

Island and User Save Data in Animal Crossing: New HorizonsHappy Home Paradise

Can I still play Animal Crossing: New HorizonsHappy Home Paradise after the end of my Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership if I haven’t purchased it separately?

Unless purchased separately, it’s not possible to play Animal Crossing: New HorizonsHappy Home Paradise after the end of a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership.

The save data for Animal Crossing: New HorizonsHappy Home Paradise is stored on the console, so after becoming a member of Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack again (or purchasing Animal Crossing: New HorizonsHappy Home Paradise separately), it is possible to continue playing where players left off.

Can other users on the same island play Animal Crossing: New HorizonsHappy Home Paradise if I’m the only Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack member?

For a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack Individual Membership, only the account with the active membership can play it. An internet connection is required when launching the game.

With a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack Family Membership, all accounts that are part of the Family Group can play Animal Crossing: New HorizonsHappy Home Paradise for the duration of their membership. An internet connection is required when launching the game.

If the DLC is purchased separately, other users on the same island can also play Animal Crossing: New HorizonsHappy Home Paradise if the console on which the contents are played is set as the Primary Console of the account that purchased it. On any other console, it can only be played on the account that purchased it.

Do other users on the same island get their own set of islands in the Animal Crossing: New HorizonsHappy Home Paradise DLC?

If users on the same island have an active membership for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, or have purchased the DLC separately (please see question 20), they will have access to their own islands in Animal Crossing: New HorizonsHappy Home Paradise DLC since the save data and progress for Animal Crossing: New HorizonsHappy Home Paradise is separate for each player on the island.

If I purchase Animal Crossing: New HorizonsHappy Home Paradise, can I gift in-game items I’ve acquired to friends who have not purchased the DLC?

Yes, it is possible to gift in-game items from Animal Crossing: New HorizonsHappy Home Paradise to friends who have not purchased the DLC.

Can I still use the content unlocked in Animal Crossing: New HorizonsHappy Home Paradise on a player’s main island if they lose access to the DLC?

Players can continue to access certain things they have unlocked in Animal Crossing: New HorizonsHappy Home Paradise on their main island, even if their access to Animal Crossing: New HorizonsHappy Home Paradise is suspended. However, it will not be possible to visit the archipelago if players lose access to the DLC if they did not purchase it separately.

Can the island save data transfer feature in Animal Crossing: New Horizons also be used for Animal Crossing: New HorizonsHappy Home Paradise data? Can I use save data transfer in Animal Crossing: New HorizonsHappy Home Paradise when I change consoles, even if I’m not currently a member of Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack?

Yes, the save data for Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Animal Crossing: New HorizonsHappy Home Paradise will be stored together and can be transferred to another Nintendo Switch console regardless of Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership.

The island transfer tool should be used before transferring to a new Nintendo Switch system to ensure that a player’s island, progress, customizations, animal neighbors, and any other residents that have been created on the island will be transferred to the new system. A Nintendo Account and online connection is needed to download the tool from Nintendo eShop. Step by step instructions can be found here.

Can I use the “island backup” feature for Animal Crossing: New HorizonsHappy Home Paradise as well?

Yes, the island backup feature will backup save data for each player for Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Animal Crossing: New HorizonsHappy Home Paradise. An active Nintendo Switch Online membership is needed to use this feature.

If multiple people are living on one island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, then do I need to purchase the Happy Home Paradise DLC multiple times?

  • By using one of the following methods, all players on one island will be able to play using their own save data:
    • One of the players living on the island purchases Animal Crossing: New HorizonsHappy Home Paradise separately. The Nintendo Switch console in use needs to be set as the Primary Console for the account that purchased it.
    • Every player becomes a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack member. A Family Membership is recommended in this case.

Is save data for Animal Crossing: New HorizonsHappy Home Paradise separate to save data for Animal Crossing: New Horizons?

The save data for Animal Crossing: New HorizonsHappy Home Paradise is stored as part of the Animal Crossing New Horizons save data, but progress for Animal Crossing: New HorizonsHappy Home Paradise is separate for each player on the island. Users sharing a Nintendo Switch system will each have access to their own set of resort islands in Animal Crossing: New HorizonsHappy Home Paradise.

About the Free Ver. 2.0.0 Software Update

What is included in this free update to Animal Crossing: New Horizons?

Here is an abbreviated list of what’s included in the November 2021 free update to Animal Crossing: New Horizons:

  • New facilities and characters for players to enjoy. With the 2.0.0 update, it is possible to…
    • Invite Brewster to run The Roost in the museum.
    • Shop at the Open Market on Harv’s Island featuring shops from Kicks, Leif, and others, after players have donated bells to help open them.
    • Take a boat tour with Kapp’n to new destinations where you may experience a different season or time of day from your main island to find a variety of different materials.
  • Additionally, there is further support for players by Nook, Inc. including:
    • Optional island ordinances
    • New items and features redeemable with Nook Miles
    • Group Stretching at the Plaza
    • Expanded home storage and new home customization options
  • New gameplay mechanics will also be implemented, such as:
    • Unearthing gyroids
    • Cooking and growing vegetables
    • Residents come to visit or invite the player to their home

Gameplay progress may be required to access some of the new features included in the 2.0.0 update.

How are islands visited on Kapp’n’s boat tours different from the islands you can visit with Nook Miles tickets?

The islands may have different flora to the player’s island.

The islands you visit on Kapp’n’s boat tours may have a different season or time of day to the one on the player’s main island.

How can I get cooking recipes?

There are multiple ways to get cooking recipes: For example, you can receive them from island residents, or you can redeem Nook Miles for “Be a Chef! DIY Recipes+" after reaching certain gameplay milestones.

Will I immediately have access to all content in the new Animal Crossing: New Horizons update?

The new features are added naturally to the gameplay flow once the update has finished downloading.

Are there any other general improvements in the new update?

  • The shops of the special NPCs on Harv’s island can be visited all week.
  • The home storage will be expanded to up to 5000 items.
  • The home storage can now be accessed from storage sheds which players can place almost anywhere on their island.
  • Bells can be deposited and withdrawn anywhere an ABD is placed.
  • There are other new features some players may find handy. Please see the presentation for more details.

Can I use all amiibo cards and figures to bring visitors to the Roost?

Animal Crossing amiibo cards from series 1-5, Sanrio amiibo cards, and current Animal Crossing amiibo figures are compatible.

Is this free update to Animal Crossing: New Horizons the final free update to the game?

The free update that launched on November 5, 2021 is the last major free content update. We hope that players will continue enjoying their island life in real time and throughout changing seasons.


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