Animal Crossing: New Horizons glitch lets you finally swim in pools

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Just in time for summer

Animal Crossing: New Horizons
(Image credit: Nintendo)

It's somewhat of a cruel mystery that Animal Crossing: New Horizons doesn't let you swim in your own pool, or any body of water aside from the open ocean (where there are sharks, lest we forget). But at long last, players have found a way to glitch right into those sweet summertime vibes and enjoy the pools they paid good, hard-earned bells for.

Naturally, Animal Crossing players are dipping into any container of water they can fit into, from pools, to hot tubs, to baths, to... fish tanks? Honestly, it's hard to blame people for getting creative - just like these fleeting days of summer, Animal Crossing's swimming glitch won't last long. Nintendo is known for maintaining a pretty sparkly polish on its games, and it'll likely patch this out soon. 

But for now, live it up! Just know that GamesRadar can't 100% vouch for the exploit's safety, as this rather disturbing video proves it's all fun and games until someone drowns at your pool party.

If you aren't much of a swimmer, this glitch lets you clip into all sorts of areas you aren't supposed to go. You can see Toph here snuggling with a giant teddy bear, riding in a teacup carousel, and getting a little too cozy with a bonfire. Again, have fun with the glitch while it lasts, right?

Of course, the hope is that Nintendo sees how much fun we're all having swimming in pools and rivers and decides to give us the option in an official capacity someday. We can already lay in bed and be transported to other player's dream worlds, how hard can it be to let us go for a swim on a hot summer's day?

Cheers, IGN.

While Nintendo's cozy life sim can be weirdly restrictive, here are some Animal Crossing: New Horizons secret features you might not know about.

Jordan Gerblick
Jordan Gerblick

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.