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Animal Crossing: New Horizons preload time and date

Everything you need to know about the Animal Crossing: New Horizons preload time and date.

Josh Hawkins

February 6, 2020 10:25 AM

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Animal Crossing: New Horizons is set to launch next month, and fans of the series are already gearing up for the latest entry of the franchise. If you’re looking forward to going on an island vacation in March, then we’ve got all the details you need to know if you want to preload Animal Crossing: New Horizons on your Nintendo Switch.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons preload time and date

According to a post on the Nintendo Japan website, preloads will become available on February 8 at midnight in Japan. Now that the date has come and gone, we're pleased to confirm that preloads are in fact available. This means if you've got Animal Crossing: New Horizons preordered through the eShop, you can now download and install the data. If you've got a physical copy, you will need to wait for the official release date. 

Update: The rest of the original story concerning the Animal Crossing: New Horizons preload follows.

Of course, there is always the possibility of a delay for overseas users, so we’ll keep this article up to date as more info is found and revealed. As for pre-purchases, the same post on the Nintendo Japan site states that preorders for Animal Crossing: New Horizons will go live on February 8 in Japan for the eShop version of the game. It doesn’t mention whether preorders will open elsewhere in the world. We assume that pre-purchases will become available for all users sometime around that February 8 date, though, so keep an eye out here for more updates.

Unfortunately, there aren’t any definitive dates on when you’ll be able to preload or preorder Animal Crossing: New Horizons in the US eShop just yet. We’re keeping our ear to the ground, and our best eyes on the lookout for new information each and every day. It won’t be long before everyone can dive into the latest adventure in the Animal Crossing series, and we know that you’re all excited for your chance to help Tom Nook build an unforgettable island vacation.

For more information head back over to our Animal Crossing: New Horizons hub and be sure to follow Shacknews on Twitter for the latest gaming news and guides.

Josh Hawkins

Guides Editor

Joshua holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and has been exploring the world of video games for as long as he can remember. He enjoys everything from large-scale RPGs to small, bite-size indie gems and everything in between.