Back in August, Nintendo announced plans to end support for Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, its free-to-play mobile game. To the relief of many, the company confirmed that the game would be replaced by a paid version, though details were slim at the time. Nintendo has now fully pulled back the curtain on Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Complete, which will be released on December 3rd. This version of the game will remove all of the microtransactions that appeared in the original version of Pocket Camp, and will give players a complete Animal Crossing game that can be enjoyed on mobile for a set price.
The initial price point for Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Complete will be $9.99. However, this is only an introductory price, and the full cost will go up to $19.99 on Friday, January 31st, 2025. Pre-orders for the game are live now, and a trailer can be found below.
Videos by ComicBook.com
As previously revealed, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Complete will allow existing players to transfer some of their save data to the new game. In the trailer, Nintendo outlines how this will work, and what will carry over. Users will have to link Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp to their Nintendo Account if they haven’t already. When the new app launches, players will be prompted to bring over any existing data through the Nintendo Account. Following the switch to a paid version, some features will be going away, including paid elements like Leaf Tickets and Pocket Camp Club. Players will also no longer be able to play with friends online, as the new app does not use a constant data connection. This means elements like sending gifts and selling items will no longer be available.
While these friend elements are being removed, a new interactive feature is being added called Camper Cards. Players can create their own customized Camper Cards, which show the player’s information, their in-game style, and even their favorite Animal Crossing Villager. The result looks like an Animal Crossing amiibo card, and it has a QR code that can be shared. Players can “collect” these digital Camper Cards and build up a collection. A new location has been added to Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Complete called Whistle Pass. In this area, players will encounter Campers based on the ones they’ve exchanged Cards with, and will sometimes receive free gifts from them. Each night at 7 p.m., K.K. Slider will put on an in-game concert at Whistle Pass. Existing players can also see their friends show up in Whistle Pass, as long as both players launch the current version (6.0.0) of Pocket Camp before the app shuts down on November 29th.
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In Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Complete, there is a full year cycle of events. The new game will also be adding some new mystery events that were not in the previous version. Seasonal items will return from the current version, but in a new change, players will be able to get items that they missed using Complete Tickets. Complete Tickets are earned by playing the game, and can be exchanged for items without having to wait for the corresponding season to return.
All in all, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Complete looks like it could be interesting for both existing Pocket Camp players, as well as those that never tried out the previous version. By removing all the microtransactions and offering a complete experience for one set price, the game might have an easier time attracting fans used to playing the series on console. We’ll have a better idea how the new version plays when it launches later this year!
Are you a fan of Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp? What do you think of this new version of the game? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!