Animal Crossing New Horizons gets Island Backup, Dreaming, and fireworks later this week

Nintendo has announced the next update for Animal Crossing New Horizons will drop later this week on July 30th.

It’ll add a new fireworks event, a Dream mode (like Dream Suite in New Leaf) where you can visit other islands and the big one – Island Backups. You’ll need the Nintendo Switch Online service to use it. The website where Nintendo says to look for more information isn’t live just yet but it’ll be here.

Nintendo says this is “a service to back-up Animal Crossing: New Horizons save data and recover it from the server in the event of console failure, loss or theft will be available to Nintendo Switch Online members from July 30th 2020”.

However, this comes with some heavy caveats. For one, you won’t be able to initiate the restoration of your island by yourself. It can only be done by contacting Nintendo support (details yet to be released). If you bought a new Nintendo Switch lately and want to transfer your save, well this isn’t for you. Nintendo says they’re still planning on releasing that functionality this year but for now your island is landlocked to the console you started it on.

One step forward, two steps to the side and a twirl.

A dazzling array of colors are ready to burst in the night sky above your island abode while the calming waves of the sea lap at the shore. Ring out the end of summer with weekly fireworks shows during the month of August when Summer Update – Wave 2 arrives to the Animal Crossing: New Horizons game for the Nintendo Switch system!

For those with a Nintendo Switch Online membership, the update adds the ability to sleep and enter dreams in the game and visit other people’s islands. It also adds a new island backup service that lets Nintendo Switch Online members back up the game’s save file. These features can all be enjoyed regardless of which hemisphere your island is located in.

Available starting on July 30, the free Summer Update – Wave 2 will add the following features to the game:

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Fireworks Shows – Enjoy atmospheric fireworks lighting up the sky above your island every Sunday in August at 7 p.m. Get in the spirit by redeeming Bells for raffle tickets in the plaza to get various festive items that you can use. Put your personal spin on the fireworks display by using your own custom design pattern to see it shot in the air as a firework in the sky!

Dreaming – You can now choose to take a nap in any bed placed in your home. While dozing off, you may find yourself in a strange realm where you’ll be greeted by Luna. Luna offers visits to other islands as a dream, and with her help, you can share your island as a dream with others too. She will grant those who share their island a “Dream Address” which players can exchange and use to visit each other’s island in a dream. In dreams, nothing is permanent because nothing you do is saved, so explore to your heart’s content.

Island Backup & Restoration Service – Nintendo Switch Online members can enable the new island backup service, which automatically uploads island and user save data to the internet at certain times. If your Nintendo Switch system is lost or damaged, you may be able to recover your island paradise as long as you’ve enabled island backup. In the event of loss or damage, contact Nintendo Consumer Support about restoring the island and user save data on your new or repaired Nintendo Switch system. After your island data and individual player data is restored, you can get back to building your island community! Additional details can be found on the Nintendo Consumer Support page when the update goes live. The island backup feature is separate from the Save Data Cloud functionality offered for select Nintendo Switch games through Nintendo Switch Online. A function specific to Animal Crossing: New Horizons to move users and save data to another system is planned for later this year. Details will be announced in the future.

Take some time to relax this summer and remember to have a blast at the fireworks shows on your island getaway in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Coming up next is the free Autumn Update. We hope you look forward to it!