New Animal Crossing Mainline Game Reportedly Set for August 2026 Launch
Even with Animal Crossing standing as one of Nintendo’s longest-running comfort franchises, it’s been more than six years since the company released a brand-new entry in the series. With that gap stretching on, fans have been clamoring for fresh Animal Crossing content—and a new wave is reportedly scheduled for August 2026.
The latest mainline release is Animal Crossing: New Horizons, originally launching in March 2020. Its timing—right in the middle of global stay-at-home orders during the COVID-19 pandemic—helped it connect with players who were looking for something relaxing and grounding. Animal Crossing: New Horizons later made its way to Nintendo Switch 2 earlier this year alongside a major 3.0 update, which caught some people off guard since large-scale updates had largely wound down by then.
To mark the 25th anniversary of the original Animal Crossing launching in Japan, there’s also a themed selection of cozy content running April 6–12.
Animal Crossing Keychains Arriving in August 2026, With a Mystery Twist
Tomy is set to release a new batch of Animal Crossing keychains in August 2026. In total, collectors can chase down eight different designs featuring well-known characters from the series, including K.K. Slider, Isabelle, and Timmy. Each keychain is listed at about 2.5 cm, according to the manufacturer—small enough to work nicely as an accessory for phone cases, bags, or key rings.
All Tomy Animal Crossing Keychains
- Isabelle
- Timmy
- K. K. Slider
- Rosie
- Hamlet
- Sally
- Snowman
- Gyroid
Each individual Animal Crossing keychain is priced at $2, but there’s an important limitation. You can’t choose the exact character you want up front. Instead, buyers must purchase a mystery keychain, with any of the eight designs possible. Based on current expectations, these Tomy keychains are planned to launch only in Japan in August 2026, so it’s unclear whether they’ll expand to the U.S. or other regions later.
There’s been plenty of Animal Crossing merchandise over the years, but this set could be among the most appealing yet—especially as a low-key way to show series love without going overboard. It would be nice to see similar releases land in more countries if demand is there.
Guess the games from the emojis.
Gamoji
Guess the games from the emojis.
While these keychains are certainly fun, they’re still just a small taste compared to what players are truly hoping for: a brand-new Animal Crossing game. Nintendo has stayed notably quiet about the next entry, and fans have been stuck sorting through rumors for a long time without anything becoming official. Still, it’s worth remembering that long stretches between major releases aren’t unusual for the franchise. Given how successful the most recent game has been, it’s reasonable to expect that another one is on the way eventually.
