Animal Crossing: New Horizons Summer Update Arrives Next Month

Summer is officially here (at least in the Northern Hemisphere), and that can only mean one thing: summer-themed events are heading to Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Today, Nintendo announced a summer update for New Horizons that will roll out in two phases. The first phase goes live in early July, with the second slated for sometime in August.

Thus far, only the first part of this summer update has been detailed. The update will go live on July 9th and will feature a number of ocean-themed activities and items. For instance, you'll actually be able to go for a swim in the ocean around your island, which is something that wasn't possible before.

You won't just be taking a dive for the fun of it, though, as there's new stuff to discover in the ocean. You'll be able to dive for new sea creatures to donate to Blathers and his museum, and you'll also have a chance at finding scallops. When you surface with scallops, you might meet an otter named Pascal who will ask if he can have them – feed his scallop obsession and he'll give you mermaid-themed DIY recipes.

Finally, the constantly-stranded seagull sailor Gulliver will be getting something of a makeover with this update. He'll still wash up on your shores from time-to-time, but while this update's event is in effect, he'll be dressed in pirate garb. Apparently, helping him out while he's dressed like a pirate will lead to different rewards.

That's everything that's shipping along with this update, but it isn't the only update we'll get this summer, as the second part will be released in early August. We don't have a release date for that yet, but we'll let you know when Nintendo announces one.