A Short Goodbye to Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp

As Nintendo announces the end of service for Pocket Camp, it’s time to say a temporary farewell to the Animal Crossing worlds within our phones

In an email to Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp players, Nintendo has announced that the service for the game will sadly be coming to an end on November 28^th 2024 at 3pm UK time. Initially released on mobile in 2017, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp acted as an introduction for many players unfamiliar with the series, providing them with a cosy gaming experience that could be easily accessed from their phone screens. However, for those Pocket Camp loyalists, Nintendo has announced that an upfront paid version of the game is in the works, but what this will entail and when it will be available remains a mystery.

Unlike the game as it is today, Nintendo have confirmed that this new version of Pocket Camp will not require constant connection to the internet or have any in-game microtransactions. Although I am a fan of the idea of no in-app purchases to make the experience feel more like another Animal Crossing instalment, the lack of support for internet connection means that players will no longer be able to visit each other’s campsites. Being able to visit your friends and their worlds is not only a huge part of Pocket Camp but the series as a whole, and removing this feature entirely feels like a betrayal of one of the core mechanics of Animal Crossing.

Although this new version of Pocket Camp may improve the original game, it is no doubt saddening that players will no longer be able to unlock new rewards or enjoy seasonal events. However, Nintendo have promised Pocket Camp fans that they will be able to transfer their save data over to the new game, but will not be able to transfer the in-game currency, Leaf Tickets, due to the lack of microtransactions in the app.

Thankfully, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp is being granted a new lease of life with this upcoming version of the game, but with Nintendo’s track record, will the app eventually be forgotten about? No doubt Nintendo has a series of updates planned for the game in the first few months after it becomes available, but with Nintendo releasing the last update for Animal Crossing: New Horizons all the way back in November 2021, as well as shutting down content updates for another one of their apps, Mario Kart Tour, is this offline version of Pocket Camp prolonging the inevitable? Another game left to collect dust by Nintendo before they move on to the next big thing? Time will tell, and hopefully more information on this new version of Pocket Camp will be released in the near future.