Be very careful who you open your gates to, Animal Crossing: New Horizons fans. The first Summer update has had the unfortunate side effect of allowing griefers and thieves to mess with your beloved island.
As many fans have stated, New Horizons arrived at the perfect time. When the real world gets a little too tough and scary, we always have an adorable little dream island to fall back on, a world that replaces all the fear and coronavirus with blustering owls, money-grubbing Tanukis, and happy pigs that perform yoga moves outside their houses at night. It’s like living in a bizarre version of The Wind In The Willows, and we’re super grateful to have it.
The game’s March launch feels like such a long time ago now, but seasonal events, regular visitors and updates keep things feeling as fresh as ever. The recent Summer update added the capacity to swim in the ocean around the player’s island (as well as returning fan favorite Pascal and other features), but it has also been somewhat problematic. Not only have some players discovered a new ‘invisible wall’ glitch, but devious players have found new ways to steal from the community.
While the return of ocean swimming adds a welcome new facet to island exploration, it also gives players with ill intent freedom to reach just about any point of the host’s town. As a result, as Nintendo Soup reports, carefully placed fences to keep traders and other unknown guests from wreaking havoc don’t really work.
The report goes on to state that a lot of well-meaning traders have fallen victim to thieves, who simply swam to a point they weren’t supposed to be able to reach (you can enter and exit the water from any beach) and plied their unscrupulous trade.
Sadly, as with any such game with an online component, there will always be some players who simply seek to ruin and destroy the hard work of others. New Horizons includes the Best Friends feature, which allows trusted players to give each other more freedoms on their respective islands. However, there are certain things that anybody who visits can do, including stealing your precious items.
Stay vigilant, Animal Crossing fans. Be careful who you allow to take the DAL flight to your beloved island paradise.
NEXT: Animal Crossing: New Horizons Players Create Synchronized Swimming Routine
