Animal Crossing New Horizons 2.0 Update: Secret Features You Need to Know About

Animal Crossing: New Horizon‘s 2.0 update is finally here, and initial reports suggest that this massive patch is somehow even bigger than previously thought.

In fact, it’s only taken a few hours for the game’s eager fans to uncover a host of features that were seemingly never confirmed ahead of the update’s surprise launch late last night. While some of these hidden features can certainly be considered “little things,” others may very well make it easier than ever to complete those big plans you’ve been putting off.

Here are just a few of the best secret features that have been discovered in Animal Crossing: New Horizon‘s 2.0 update so far:

Star Fragments and Other Rewards on Kapp’n’s Island Tours

While we knew that Kapp’n’s new island tours would allow you to visit strange new places, some players have already discovered a special “Vine Island” filled with exotic plant life. While that’s appealing enough on its own, it seems that hitting the rocks on that island using the game’s beloved“shovel trick” will reward you with star fragments.

This isn’t the only Kapp’n island that yields incredible new rewards, though. While most of the information about this feature is coming from time skippers at the moment, those players are reporting that Kapp’n will sometimes take you to very special islands filled with incredible rewards such as an island packed with Bells!

Put DIY Recipes Into Storage

ACNH’s 2.0 update is filled with quality of life changes, but few are as welcome as the ability to finally send DIY recipes directly into storage.

The option to store a DIY recipe should appear as soon as you select the recipe in your inventory, so you’ll no longer have to waste time trying to figure out the best way to manage those duplicate recipes or the ones you just can’t get to right now. 

Moving Buildings/Houses is Cheaper Than Ever

If you were planning on moving any houses or buildings on your island in preparation for the 2.0 update, you might want to wait until you’ve actually installed the update as it seems it reduces the price of that particular task from 50,000 Bells to 10,000 Bells. 

We imagine quite a few players will be upset that they didn’t know about this price reduction ahead of the update, but it’s certainly nice to know that rearranging your island will be cheaper than ever.

Perform Player Reactions on Kapp’n’s Boat

This is hardly the biggest new feature in the update, but some players have already figured out that it’s possible to “react” during your rides on Kapp’n’s boat. 

Pressing “A” will cause your character to clap, “X” will make them laugh, and “Y” will initiate a kind of surprised reaction. It’s a great way to celebrate the little time you get to spend with this beloved character. 

Buy Framed Posters For Completed Museum Wings

As if completing wings of Blather’s museum wasn’t its own reward, it seems that this new update includes the ability to buy framed posters from Blathers that stylistically represent any wings of the museum that you’ve completed so far. 

These posters make great additions to certain home designs and are generally a nice way to celebrate the work that you’ve done so far.

Celeste’s New DIY Recipes

The ACNH 2.0 update is absolutely packed with new items (we hope to get the chance to talk more about a few of them sometime later), which also means that it’s easy to overlook a few of the sources for those new items. 

In fact, it seems that Celeste has updated her inventory of unique items with a few special DIY recipes you’ll absolutely want to check out. Time skippers are reporting that some of these new items are seasonal, so you’ll have to wait a little while longer to see those if you’re playing the “fair” way. 

Isabelle Now Announces Special Visitors

Did you ever wish that there was a better way to know exactly which special visitors are on your island that day? Well, we have very good news for you.

Yes, it seems that Isabelle will finally use her morning announcement to tell you when characters like Flick, CJ, and Gulliver have decided to drop by. Her dialog appears to only vaguely “hint” at some of these visitors, but long-time ACNH players should have no problem figuring out who their new friends are. 

Automatic Weed Pulling Service From Leif’s Shop

Leif’s new shop on Harv’s Island offers an array of new items and services, but one of Leif’s most valuable services has to be his offer to pull all the weeds on your island for 100,000 Bells and send the weeds to your donation box.

If you’re returning to ACNH after a long hiatus, requesting this invaluable service should probably be one of the first things you do (assuming you have the extra Bells, of course). 

Villagers Will Now Visit Your Home

ACNH has been a massive game since launch, but the Switch title has long been missing a few little features that played a prominent role in previous franchise entries.

Well, 2.0 brings back at least one of those little missing features by letting your villagers randomly visit your home from time to time. This is one of those nice touches that just helps your village feel like more of a community than it did before. 

Check Your Friendship Level With Villagers at Katrina’s Shop

Katrina has set up a fortune-telling shop on Harv’s Island in the 2.0 update, and it turns out that she offers much more than a vague look at what the future might bring. 

Once a day, Katrina will offer to read your fortune and check on your current “friendship level” with the villager of your choice. While knowing that information is more of a nicety than a necessity, this is a fun addition to the game that shows how much thought went into this update’s little features.