Animal Crossing Switch release date may have been leaked, so start saving up your Bells

Anyone else super duper excited for Animal Crossing Switch? The Nintendo Switch seems like a perfect platform for the kind of sedate, wonderfully idle style of gameplay that the Animal Crossing series has to offer. Netflix and Crossing, anyone? You know it's going to happen, folks. 

And it might be happening sooner rather than later, if this new leak from The Loot Gaming  is anything to go by. According to two separate sources speaking to the site, the Animal Crossing Switch release date is set for September 2019. You may not have heard of The Loot Gaming before, but the site did successfully predict the reveal of Nintendo Labo VR kit, which was announced last week, so it has some credibility when it comes to Nintendo flavoured leaks. 

Nintendo has confirmed that Animal Crossing is launching on Switch sometime in 2019, but until now we've had no idea as to a more precise launch window. Heck, we don't even have a full name for the game yet, or any indication as to what it'll all be about - beyond the usual fish, bug, shell and bell collecting, of course. 

It also states that Animal Crossing will be the big focus for Nintendo's E3 presentation. That shouldn't come as much of a surprise though, as it's one of the biggest upcoming Switch games for this year. Pokemon Sword and Shield have already had their time in the spotlight with a full reveal in February, so although it may feature in Ninty's E3 presentation, The Pokemon Company tends to keep the biggest reveals to its own, dedicated, Nintendo Directs. 

I'm sure Super Mario Maker 2, Luigi's Mansion 2 and more will also appear, but it's pretty clear we're all waiting for Animal Crossing to steal 99.99% of the E3 limelight. 

For now then, we'll have to wait, hopefully in the knowledge that it's really launching in September, and we're but six months away from a brand new mayoral adventure. 

Want something to play right now on your Nintendo handheld? Why not check out our pick of the best Nintendo Switch games, or watch the video version below for a taste of them in action. 

Sam Loveridge
Global Editor-in-Chief, GamesRadar+

Sam Loveridge is the Global Editor-in-Chief of GamesRadar, and joined the team in August 2017. Sam came to GamesRadar after working at TrustedReviews, Digital Spy, and Fandom, following the completion of an MA in Journalism. In her time, she's also had appearances on The Guardian, BBC, and more. Her experience has seen her cover console and PC games, along with gaming hardware, for a decade, and for GamesRadar, she's in charge of the site's overall direction, managing the team, and making sure it's the best it can be. Her gaming passions lie with weird simulation games, big open-world RPGs, and beautifully crafted indies. She plays across all platforms, and specializes in titles like Pokemon, Assassin's Creed, The Sims, and more. Basically, she loves all games that aren't sports or fighting titles! In her spare time, Sam likes to live like Stardew Valley by cooking and baking, growing vegetables, and enjoying life in the countryside.