Animal Crossing 3.0: Island Decorating Finally Fixed?

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is set to receive a significant overhaul with Update 3.0, launching January 15th, 2026, alongside the Switch 2 Edition. This free update addresses long-standing player frustrations regarding the tedious nature of island decorating and terraforming. Key enhancements include the ability to craft multiple items at once, drawing materials directly from overall storage rather than player pockets, which drastically reduces inventory management.

The update also introduces Resetti's Reset Service, a powerful tool designed to instantly clear entire sections of an island, eliminating the need for manual item removal. Furthermore, subtle but impactful changes to movement while terraforming are expected to make the process smoother. Nintendo has also unveiled "Slumber Islands," new sandbox environments that allow players to test designs without consequences, featuring customizable time and weather settings and the ability to conjure any catalog item instantly.

These new features, particularly the Slumber Islands, are poised to revolutionize the creative process for players. The ability to freely experiment with layouts and aesthetics in these sandboxes before implementing them on their main islands should alleviate the discouragement caused by the previously cumbersome design and redecoration cycle. This promises a more enjoyable and less time-consuming experience for island customization.