Animal Crossing to Get Loot Boxes, According to Patent

During a 20-minute presentation in October 2021, Nintendo decided to give Animal Crossing: New Horizons everything they ever wanted. While the game is credited for getting lots of people through the early days of the pandemic with their sanity intact, many felt that the newest entry to the long-running series was lacking many beloved characters and activities from past games. The packed Direct announced the return of numerous NPCs, new items, new events, more customization options, and a paid DLC expansion.

Things have been quiet on the Animal Crossing front since this massive update dropped, but according to a new patent filed by Nintendo, the series could be seeing the addition of loot boxes in the future. While many fans have speculated that Nintendo’s silence could point to another Animal Crossing game in the works, it looks like the company is instead working on something that most players likely won’t be too happy to see.

A number of sources online have pointed to a new patent involving a lottery system allowing players to win Animal Crossing furniture items. Filed late last year, it was only published recently and indicates that users might need to use virtual currency to enter this new lottery system. It’s not clear whether these items are for a current title or for a new title coming out in the future. The patent also doesn’t explain what kind of virtual currency will be needed–it could be referring to the typical in-game currency of Bells. It could also be a new premium currency that will cost real money.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is currently available for the Nintendo Switch. The final major free Animal Crossing update was released on November 5, 2021 and added a number of fan-requested items and characters, including Brewster and The Roost coffee shop, sea tours, crops and cooking, new hairstyles, new fencing, updates to Nooks Cranny’s inventory, the addition of Gyroids, and random villager visits to player homes. The Happy Home Paradise DLC is available for individual purchase or through the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack Membership.

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