July 3 marked the first wave of Animal Crossing – the New Horizons Summer Update, and with it came a ton of new features, including swimming and diving, a new category of creatures to find, new visitor interactions, and a new set of DIY recipes. Here’s everything new for Animal Crossing and how to get started.
Swim and diving
The most important new feature of the update is the ability to swim and snorkel in the ocean around your island. We have a comprehensive guide on how to put on a wetsuit and swim, so check it out to get started.
Catching new sea creatures
Swimming and diving on your island opens up a whole new world of wildlife to find and collect. There are 40 sea creatures you can catch, all classified under their own “sea creature” tag on your Critterpedia. You can also donate them to Blathers at the museum.
Pascal is here!
Pascal is a new visitor that you can meet while swimming around his island. He’ll trade you DIY recipes for scallops, and sometimes reward you with pearls, a rare craft item.
DIY Recipe Set and Mermaid Clothes
There is a new set of mermaid-themed DIY recipes that you can collect and create. Pascal will trade you recipes for scallops and sometimes give you pearls, which you can use to make the recipes. Other craft supplies needed for the set include shells and other items you can find along your beach, like coral.
Gullivarrr (Pirate Gulliver) and new pirate items
A new pirate-themed Gulliver, or Gullivarrr, now has a chance to appear on your island. If you help him, he will reward you with pirate-themed furniture and clothing. You will need to know how to swim for this one!
Summer Shells DIY Recipes
Summer shells were added in June. Like the petals of cherry blossoms, they are a seasonal artisanal recipe that you can find from now until August on the islands of the northern hemisphere. Check out the full list of DIY summer shell recipes for information on where to find the shells and what you can create with them.
The next summer update comes to Animal Crossing: New Horizons this August.
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