Animal Crossing December update trailer previews new event, recipes, and so much snow

The first trailer for Animal Crossing: New Horizon's December update is here, previewing the thick blanket of snow that will soon cover your island, a new Holiday-themed event, new bugs and fish, and new DIY recipes.

The headliner for December is the Animal Crossing Toy Day event, which takes place on December 24. That's when Animal Crossing's resident ambassador of the holiday season, Jingle the reindeer, turns up on your island and tasks you with giving presents to your neighbors.

If you've been waiting for snow to come to your island, you can expect the full wintery scene to unfold later this week, complete with decorated trees that drop ornaments you can use in various DIY recipes. The trailer above shows a few of the things you can craft to turn your island into a shimmering winter wonderland befitting of the season. Naturally, you've got your festive trees, but there are also stacks of presents, glowing reindeer decorations, and gnomes.

With new weather comes new critters you'll encounter around your island. Dive into the icy waters and you might get lucky enough to catch a lobster, and be sure to look behind that rolling snowball - there could be a cute little dung beetle pushing it around. You can also roll around snowballs yourself and stack them together to make a snowman.

Finally, the Pocket Camp Nook Phone Case is a small but cute addition to the Nook Shop. And though it's not in-theme with the season, it would make the perfect present for an island resident or a real-life friend.

Don't miss our essential Animal Crossing: New Horizons tips for making the most of island life.

Jordan Gerblick

After scoring a degree in English from ASU, I worked as a copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. Now, as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer, I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my apartment, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.