Animal Crossing: New Horizons 2021 Update: When is it available and what’s included?

Players will finally be able to visit Brewster and The Roost on Nintendo Switch.

Long-term Animal Crossing fans have had a new lease of life over the past 18 months, since Animal Crossing: New Horizons launched on Nintendo Switch in March 2020. Many familiar faces were back in the updated game, including Tom Nook and his villager friends.

However, some of the old characters never appeared in the Switch version. Now, it seems like that’s something Nintendo is planning to change. Announced during the Nintendo Direct presentation on September 23rd, a new update is coming to the game that will revive another Animal Crossing legend.

Here’s all we know about the Animal Crossing: New Horizons update so far.

When is the Animal Crossing: New Horizons update launching?

The highly anticipated update was due to launch in November, but Nintendo actually launched the update early, meaning you can find Brewster in The Roost right now.

The original teaser showed how to access The Roost.

While walking through the Museum, the player walks up to a door and is told that The Roost is open 24/7. Any hardcore fans of the game will know that that means: Brewster and his cosy cafe, The Roost, are coming back, just in time for winter.

How do I get the Animal Crossing: New Horizons update?

If past updates are anything to go by, the update will be downloaded automatically onto your Switch, so you probably won’t have to lift a finger, so long as you have automatic updates turned on.

Judging from the short video, you’ll be able to find The Roost by climbing the stairs of the Museum near the Art Gallery.

A familiar haunt is arriving soon in the Museum. Photo: Nintendo.

Who is Brewster in Animal Crossing: New Horizons?

Brewster, as you might guess from the name, is a coffee shop owner who runs The Roost. He made his first appearance in Wild World and has been a fan favourite ever since. In New Leaf, he started working at The Roost, the cafe which is now returning to Animal Crossing once more.

Brewster serves different blends of coffee for players to try each day, charging 200 Bells a cup. He dresses in a dapper black waistcoat and bowtie, with a white apron while he's working in The Roost.

Other villagers and characters also visit The Roost from time to time. In previous Animal Crossing versions, these characters have been interactive and offer fresh insights into their lives and even the odd challenge or two.

Brewster himself is a bespectacled pigeon with a love of coffee so strong that he’s known to be offended when the player doesn’t drink their steaming hot cup quick enough. You can slowly get him to warm up to you by buying and drinking lots of hot coffee, but when you first meet him, he can seem quite gruff.

Fans have been calling on Nintendo to re-introduce Brewster to Animal Crossing: New Horizons for months now. The announcement during Nintendo Direct that he’s finally on his way has delighted the fan base.