Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Happy Home Paradise is the first paid DLC drop

Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Happy Home Paradise DLC, the first paid DLC drop for the game — (Image credit: Nintendo)

Happy Home Paradise has been announced as the very first paid Animal Crossing: New Horizons DLC.

Taking inspiration from Happy Home Designer, the upcoming DLC will give players access to a brand new archipelago of islands, and a job working as a Paradise Planner with the otter NPC, Lottie (of Happy Home Designer fame).

Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Happy Home Paradise release date and price

Dropping on November 5, alongside the major free Animal Crossing: New Horizons Update 2.0, the paid DLC will retail for £22.49 / $24.99, or be included with your subscription of Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack. This will cost £39.99 / $49.99 a year for an individual subscription, or £59.99 / $79.99 for a family plan.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Happy Home Paradise features

Accessed via picking the option to "Go to work" from the island airport, Happy Home Paradise will see players becoming interior designers and resort planners, as they help Animal Crossing characters and residents find their perfect holiday home.

Each character will have a very specific vision for their holiday home, with the little bear Maple wanting a home filled with, well, plush bears. Firstly though, you'll have to set a destination for the holiday home from a range of spots across the new archipelago resort.

Once you've picked your spot, you'll then be able to add furniture to your client's home, picking out items that they've specifically requested, and then adding any other elements that you think will complete their getaway pad.

Along with elements added in Update 2.0, such as ceiling lights and accent walls, Happy Home Paradise will let you learn new design techniques. These will include adjusting the size of the interior, being able to add partition walls, dual-sized counters, and even pillars. You'll also be able to adjust the lighting and the soundscapes of your client's homes too. Plus, there's a new polishing mechanic that can unlock new elements of certain items. All of these features can then be used on your own island too.

You will also be able to decorate and customize the land surrounding your client's holiday home, placing furniture and building fences using the same top-down view that's available for interiors. This is the first time you've been able to do this outside of the home in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and it's not yet clear whether this feature will extend to your own island too, or be limited to the Happy Home Paradise DLC area.

You can also customize the look of the home itself, which is a feature being added as part of the 2.0 update. Plus, you'll be able to pick the season and weather for each holiday home too. Terrain manipulation won't be an option for this process though.

Other opportunities on offer with Happy Home Paradise include designing facilities for the vacationers to use, such as schools, restaurants, or hospitals. These, like the vacation homes, can be customized inside and out to create the perfect venues. You can also get new clients by inviting them via amiibo cards or figures.

Plus, eventually you may be able to offer your residents the opportunity to not only own a holiday home, but also remodel their home on your island.

Happy Home Paradise will also reward you for your efforts with the opportunity to earn a new in-game currency called Poki. This can be used to buy rare items in the special shop on the archipelago, which can then be taken back to your home island. Although Nintendo has said that the DLC doesn't include any items you can't get on your own island - this is just a bit of a shortcut to the rarer ones you can obtain.

Happy Home Network

The holiday homes you design are all photographed and added to your portfolio. From the Happy Home Network app, you can use these photos to revisit old clients, but also share your designs online too.

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