Nintendo has quietly added three new Animal Crossing: New Horizons user icon elements to its Nintendo Switch Online rewards rotation, giving fans a small, time-limited cosmetic treat ahead of the game’s next big update.
What’s available
The new icons depict fan-favorite characters from New Horizons: a Timmy & Tommy Nook portrait and separate icons of Orville and Wilbur, the dodo brothers who operate Dodo Airlines. Nintendo lists the icon elements as part of its My Nintendo Platinum Points rewards and says they are available for a limited window: Wave 1 runs from 11/12 at 5:00 p.m. PT through 12/1 at 4:59 p.m. PT. You can see the official notice on Nintendo’s site here.
Community reports and listings indicate each icon can be redeemed using Platinum Points (commonly shown as 10 points per icon in the rewards UI), and they are mix-and-match elements that slot into the existing Animal Crossing icon options.
How to claim them
- On your Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch 2, open the Nintendo Switch Online membership panel on the home screen.
- Select "Missions & Rewards" (or check your My Nintendo Platinum Points balance) and locate the Animal Crossing icon elements.
- Redeem using your Platinum Points before the rewards refresh on December 1.
A Nintendo Switch Online membership and a Nintendo Account are required to access these rewards.
Why Nintendo rolled this out now
The icons arrive as Nintendo builds momentum for the forthcoming New Horizons 3.0 update, scheduled for January 15, 2026. That free expansion — which Nintendo and multiple outlets have highlighted in recent communications — is expected to broaden support for Nintendo Switch 2 hardware (including higher-resolution output and expanded input options), expand multiplayer lobbies, and introduce new in-game systems such as a Resort Hotel, larger storage, updated Dream Worlds, multi-item crafting and themed items tied to franchises like The Legend of Zelda and LEGO. The new icons are small, timely fanfare that keeps New Horizons in players’ feeds while the community anticipates the larger free update.
Fan reaction and context
Players on social platforms have treated the icons as a welcome, if minor, bonus — easy to grab for long-time fans who still have Platinum Points to spare. For many, the appeal is purely cosmetic: a way to personalize their Nintendo Account and celebrate favorite non-player characters. For Nintendo, limited-time rewards like these help keep engagement steady across the Nintendo Switch lineup in the months between major software updates.
The bottom line
If you’re an Animal Crossing: New Horizons fan with a Nintendo Switch Online membership and some Platinum Points saved up, these icons are an easy freebie to grab before they disappear on December 1. They’re not a substantive addition to the game itself, but they’re a neat nod to the community as attention turns toward the much larger New Horizons 3.0 expansion in January.