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Animal Crossing: New Horizons' major new 3.0 update is here – alongside the paid Switch 2 Edition – and players have been running into some unexpected, familiar faces in one of its free content additions.
Update 3.0 adds the Slumber Island feature, allowing folks to create an additional three Dream islands completely separate from their main island – you can choose a layout, size, and decorate it however you please. It's a pretty amazing new option for anyone who's been yearning to overhaul their main island and try out new ideas without erasing all their previous hard work, and you can even have your villager friends walking around in there, too.
Well, that's where things get interesting. We already knew that we'd be able to hang out with our current residents on Slumber Island, but it turns out that any villager who's previously lived on your island will be selectable, too. For some fans, this is a welcome reunion with old friends, some they've not seen since 2020. For others… not so much.
Remember those poor, poor villagers who were just trying to live their best life before someone decided that they were too ugly to be welcome? They moved in, excited to meet their neighbors, only to find themselves repeatedly hit with a bug net, sent rude letters, and generally tormented by the esteemed Resident Representative, who made it their mission to make them leave for good. Others found their company auctioned off online for Bells and Nook Miles Tickets as players used them as part of their get-rich-quick schemes. Well, some players might have done their best to forget, but clearly, Animal Crossing: New Horizons won't let them.
"This is diabolical all the villagers I got just to sell on nookazon are going to hunt me down and kill me," one player reacts, suddenly very aware of the list of residents who might not be best pleased to see them again.
"Chops coming back from the dead to get revenge on me (for literally making a moat around his house and putting clown emojis around it to, so he couldn't come back) on my slumber island," another writes, before sharing screenshots of the admittedly very funny clown wall they may live to regret.
Younger Arcy might’ve cursed me pic.twitter.com/suztGedrySJanuary 15, 2026
"Please no, I don't mind Jakey but I don't ever want to see Knox again in my life," another pleads.
Another sums up the situation quite nicely with a Simpsons meme, saying: "The villagers you kicked off your island for being ugly coming back on slumber island because the game save data remembers them but you don't."
The villagers you kicked off your island for being ugly coming back on slumber island because the game save data remembers them but you don’t pic.twitter.com/v60Vm0aLyrJanuary 14, 2026
Again, some are actually thrilled about the feature: "Oh my god i had two villagers leave recently and i was really sad about both of them this is amazing news," writes one. "I got so happy to see my former residents with my current residents," says another. I guess the reaction probably depends on how many mortal enemies you've made in your time playing one of Nintendo's sweetest, most wholesome games of all time.
