It’s been rumored for months, but Nintendo has finally made it official. As of July 7, Animal Crossing: New Horizons players will be able to dive and swim in the ocean.
New Horizons is the latest title in the long-running Animal Crossing franchise. As the game continues to operate in real-time, the island’s wildlife changes each month to sync with the seasons. This time, the new update also provides new characters and the ability to cool off in the sea.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons officially announced on Thursday, June 25 the arrival of “Wave 1”, an update to the game that allows players to don a wetsuit and dive into the ocean, or go swimming and collect new creatures.
Animal Crossing Wave 1 update
With “Wave 1” players will be able to collect new sea creatures, which can be donated to Blathers at the museum or sold at Nook’s Cranny, by swimming in the sea on their island.
New sea creatures include sea stars, sea anemones, spotted garden eels, and scallops.
The update also brings new characters. Pascal, an otter, will be making an appearance come August. Pascal is a well-known special character within the Animal Crossing universe and has made regular appearances in Wild World, City Folk, and New Leaf.
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[Announcement]Cool off this summer by diving into the #AnimalCrossing: New Horizons free Summer Update – Wave 1, arriving 7/3! Put on your wet suit to dive & swim in the ocean, and even meet new characters! Stay tuned for info on Wave 2, planned for release in early August. pic.twitter.com/cYd86R7g6D
— Isabelle (@animalcrossing) June 25, 2020
He appears in the sea and will ask you to give him a scallop, something Pascal has done in every Animal Crossing game. In return, Pascal will give you new DIY recipes with a mermaid theme.
Gulliver will still pay visits to your island in the new update, but while he was previously dressed as a sailor, he will now come dressed as a pirate. In previous Animal Crossing games, Gulliver has dressed up as an astronaut or an alien. It looks as though the encounter with Gulliver in ‘Wave 1’ still involves waking him up after he washes up on the beach.
Nintendo has also teased that “Wave 2”, another game update, will be coming soon after in early August.