Animal Crossing New Horizons: Online Multiplayer, Local Co-Op, Local Multiplayer And Voice Chat Details

Animal Crossing New Horizons is all about building a town and interacting with fellow villagers, and it looks like the franchise will be just as social when it releases on Nintendo Switch tomorrow! (March 20th).

Despite plonking you on an island, you won’t be cut off from civilisation – as long as you have a Nintendo Switch Online membership, you can interact with your friends online in multiplayer and co-op.

Here’s our guide to getting you meeting, trading, and having fun with other islanders.

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Does Animal Crossing New Horizons Have Multiplayer?

Yep, there sure is. New Horizons will let up to eight players live on one of its islands at once, so you can find seven friends that’ll help you create your very own tropical getaway.

While eight players can live there, four players can play together at any one time on a single Switch console – like the gorgeous limited edition Animal Crossing edition.

Oh, and if you’re not able to get to your friend's house, don’t panic. As long as you have a Nintendo Switch Online membership you can play over the internet - save data will not be transferable.

How Many Islands Can I Have?

Players can only have one island per Nintendo Switch console, regardless of users or copies of the game.

Unfortunately, that means if you share your Switch, all users of the console will be based on the same island.

Might be time to invest in a second Switch for your partner or kids if you want to be able to fully immerse yourself in the game. Did we mention that lovely limited edition console?

How Do I Play With My Friends?

Taking a leaf out of Grand Theft Auto Online’s playbook (now there’s a crossover we’d love to see), you can use the “NookPhone” in-game to invite them to play.

If they accept, they can join you on your island for some fun or trading. Of course, you could just put them to work on any chores you don’t fancy doing yourself.

Will There Be Voice Chat?

There is voice chat, but it is tied to the unintuitive and cumbersome Nintendo Switch Online app.

This will allow Nintendo Switch Online subscribers to voice chat while playing compatible games and offers additional functionality for certain titles.

With that in mind, you might want to plan your island adventures using Discord or something similar – especially since Nintendo’s voice chat can be finicky at best.