Nintendo to shut down Animal Crossing mobile, but has a new app on the way

Back in 2017, Nintendo released Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp for iOS – a mobile and online version of its popular Animal Crossing game available for the company’s consoles. But players will face some significant changes in the near future, as Nintendo announced today that it will soon be shutting down Animal Crossing mobile.

Big changes coming to Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp

In a note to players, Nintendo revealed that the current Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp will be shut down on November 28, 2024. After that date, the servers will no longer be accessible. According to the company, the game will continue to have special events and new items added until the end of the service.

But Animal Crossing fans don’t need to worry, as Nintendo has also confirmed that it will be launching a new mobile version of the game to replace the current app. There aren’t many details about this new version at the moment, but the company says it will be paid upfront rather than relying on in-app purchases.

Moreover, the new game won’t require subscriptions either.

As noted by The Verge, a new FAQ webpage on Nintendo’s website says that users will be able to save and transfer data from the current Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp to the new app. Nintendo also says that the controls and basic gameplay “will be the same,” although some features will be cut since the new game is completely offline.

The company plans to reveal more details about the new mobile version of Animal Crossing in October.

For years, Nintendo focused on developing games exclusively for its own consoles. However, the company later tried to bring popular franchises such as Super Mario to smartphones and tablets, but Nintendo never seemed very happy about it. Game producer Shigeru Miyamoto said last year that mobile apps “will not be the primary path of future” for Nintendo games.

For now, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp remains available for free on the iOS App Store. It works with both iPhone and iPad.

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