Animal Crossing New Horizons has been out since 2020. It’s a beloved game that got many of us through the ups and downs of COVID-19, but it’s been four years. After four years, the game becomes stale. Collections have been completed, and islands have been decorated. Since there’s no telling when a new game will be released, take a leap of faith and reset your island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Resetting your game is cheaper than buying a new Switch. Also, let’s face it: you haven’t touched your island in at least a year.
But how do you reset your island? You can’t just go into the game and talk to Tom Nook or Isabelle about it. No, it’s not as easy as that. So, let’s take a look at how to do this.
How to Reset Your Island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons
First, go to the system settings. This is the second-to-last icon on the bottom of the Switch home screen. Click on it to access your Switch’s settings.
Next, scroll down the menu on the left-hand side and select the data management option. In this menu, scroll to the bottom and select “Delete Save Data.”
In this menu, select Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Now, these are the final steps in deleting the save data. This means you will no longer have access to your current world. Make sure you think it through before proceeding.
After selecting the Animal Crossing save data, choose “delete all save data for this software.” This will permanently delete the save data for your current game. A warning screen will also pop up before everything is deleted so you can think it through before you follow through with it.
The final step is to select “delete save data” on the warning screen. Just like that, you have a new and fresh game to play from the beginning again.
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Tips Before Resetting
I know resetting your game is hard, but it does bring a new light to it and gives a fresh start to an old game. With that being said, there are some precautions you should take before resetting Animal Crossing.
My first tip is to ensure you have a friend who has all the fruits collected or a friend who would be willing to hold one of each fruit for you. You’ll want to do this because you can only get three different fruits otherwise: your town’s native fruit, one non-native fruit, and coconuts. While having all the fruits isn’t required, it’s nice to have all of them to make different crafting and cooking recipes.
My second tip also requires a friend. If you have any limited edition items you don’t want to lose, such as villager pictures or Nintendo exclusives, drop those off with a friend as well. Those items will be gone forever if you don’t do this.
My final tip before resetting is to take a minute to say goodbye to your old world and villagers. Many of us have spent years working on these islands and curating these villagers, so it might be worthwhile to take some time to enjoy your old world and villagers before resetting your game.
Final Thoughts
That’s everything you need to know when resetting your Animal Crossing game. I think it’s worth it since we have no idea when a new game will come out, and many of us still want to play it. It’s nice to replay the early game again and have to grind Nook Miles Tickets to go hunting for the villagers you want. It’s also nice to have a fresh island to work with and make a new theme.
The Guide Hall doesn’t mind a little downtime spent in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. With a brand-new island and new adventures to come, we’ll bring you additional guides from the cozy gaming world!