As many will no doubt know, Animal Crossing: New Horizons is mere days away, with the next entry in Nintendo's adorable life sim coming this Friday. Current reviews for the game are glowing as well, with many praising the Switch followup's new creative tools as well as it's numerous small improvements. It appears there's a number of small secrets in the game too, with one of the game's brand new villagers seemingly linked to a viral social media post.
This villager, which is an orange wolf sporting sunglasses and short blonde hair, is Audie, with many fans and social media users quickly pointing out that the name suspiciously matches that of an avid Animal Crossing fans that went viral in early 2019. The fan in question is 87-year-old grandmother Audrey, whose grandson posted a video showcasing his elderly relative's 3,500 hour save in Animal Crossing: New Leaf.
According to her Grandson, Audrey had been playing the game almost every day for the previous four years. Even after dropping her 3DS and nearly breaking it, the passionate grandmother apparently taped up her handheld console and continued playing while her grandson went about finding her a replacement. Her mayor name in the 3DS title is Audie, with many assuming that this new villager almost has to be linked with the avid Animal Crossing fan. It's a lovely gesture that pays homage to one of the game's most loyal supporters, showcasing once against the near-universal appeal that Animal Crossing generates as a franchise.
Although, Audie will be far from the only villager present within Animal Crossing: New Horizons. It seems as though the game will contain a whopping 383 villagers that could conceivably visit players' towns, with the selection consisting of old favorites and a handful of completely new faces alike. It seems to correlate with the idea that this will be the biggest and most extravagant Animal Crossing title yet, with the game ushering in both the old and new to create the most complete package the franchise has offered to date.
However, it seems new villagers aren't the only fresh aspect available within New Horizons. Not only will the game seemingly have a ton of new items, but it has also implemented a crafting system, an exciting terraforming tool, a character creator, and a bunch of new multiplayer options that allow you to play with more friends than ever. With reviews praising these features, it seems there's never been a better time to be an Animal Crossing fan.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons will release exclusively for the Nintendo Switch on March 20.
