Tiger Borgia: A Steadfast Player of Animal Crossing: New Horizons
For over five years, content creator Tiger Borgia has dedicated her time to weeding and managing her island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Despite the ever-evolving gaming landscape where developers frequently unveil new updates to capture audience interest, Borgia’s commitment to New Horizons stands out as commendable. Notably, Nintendo hasn’t delivered a significant update since the Happy Home Paradise DLC in 2021. Most recently, the game received a patch in preparation for the Switch 2. Consequently, the version of New Horizons that Borgia continues to enjoy is largely identical to the original release from spring 2020.
As publishers increasingly pursue the lucrative live-service gaming model, New Horizons highlighted Nintendo’s gradual foray into this realm, featuring a consistent stream of updates for over a year post-launch. This shift towards live service may become even more prominent with the upcoming Switch 2.
In a conversation with The Verge, Borgia reflected on her changing perspective regarding new content for New Horizons. Two years ago, she would have welcomed more additions, but now she feels the game should remain unchanged. “I believe New Horizons has had its moment. I would consider a live-service model for the next Animal Crossing game, but I would be wary of paywalls and subscription models,” she expressed via email.
Live-service games, primarily popularized by titles like Fortnite and PUBG: Battlegrounds, have solidified their status in contemporary gaming since 2017. These games focus on continuously updating the base experience with new characters, modes, and content to keep players engaged.
As per industry analyst Mat Piscatella, over 40% of gaming time on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X in the US was devoted to the top 10 live-service titles as of January. Moreover, around 30% of AAA developers are working on live-service projects, according to a survey from the Game Developers Conference in 2025. Despite the trend, Nintendo has approached live-service games with caution. Creating such titles involves complexity; even major players like Sony have faced difficulties, resulting in the cancellation of several of their projects. However, excitement surrounds what the Switch 2 could bring to this evolving landscape.
Previous Nintendo games, such as Splatoon 3, have already embraced live-service elements with regular updates and events. Initially, New Horizons also saw a steady flow of enhancements, and features like the anticipated Discord-esque GameChat for the Switch 2 are poised to add value to potential live-service games, particularly those reliant on social engagement. Recent leaks even hint at Nintendo exploring a possible MMO for the Switch 2, which could align with live-service models.
Interestingly, Nintendo has steadily invested in live-service gaming over the years, as evidenced by Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, which adopted a free-to-play approach with in-game transactions upon launch.
Some Animal Crossing enthusiasts support the idea of transforming the flagship games into a live-service format. While New Horizons offers ample creative opportunities for players in designing their islands, the game can eventually deplete its content as users complete objectives and storylines.
Tom, an artist and longtime player, mentioned to The Verge that a live-service iteration of the game could have prolonged his engagement. “More updates would have significantly boosted my likelihood of continuing, particularly because it would bring friends back into the game,” he noted.
The gameplay dynamics and structure of New Horizons lend themselves well to a live-service model, particularly with its seasonal events shaped by real-world times and regions. Yet, some fans remain skeptical.
“I never anticipated infinite content from Animal Crossing, honestly,” shared Christi Kerr, a player with over 700 hours logged in New Horizons. “My experience with earlier games was that all content was available upfront, allowing players to enjoy it until they felt satisfied. I found the updates for New Horizons enjoyable, but somewhat frustrating as a New Leaf veteran.”
That said, players aren’t entirely against a live-service model for the next Animal Crossing installment. They express a desire for it to be implemented in a way that respects their time and financial investment. Current criticisms of live-service games include the time-consuming nature of leveling up through battle passes and poorly executed events.
Borgia suggested, “If Animal Crossing were to adopt a live-service style, focusing on seasonal events and quality-of-life improvements would be ideal. However, I’d be concerned about constant new additions like furniture and clothing leading to potential microtransaction issues. Seasonal festivities, challenges, and temporary NPC visitors would be wonderful.”
Thus far, Nintendo has maintained a cautious stance towards live-service gaming. For example, Pocket Camp was eventually re-released as a standalone title without microtransactions, allowing later players to enjoy it without in-app purchases.
This strategy seems adequate for fans, as many believe Animal Crossing should not evolve into a never-ending game. As Kerr stated,
