Animal Crossing: New Horizons has captivated players for about a month now with its simple, relaxing gameplay and huge cast of quirky and lovable characters. The newly announced April update is about the make that cast a little bigger.
The update, which will release on April 23, is set to bring back several characters from the series, some of whom have been part of the franchise from the very beginning.
Leif
After being teased as part of an Earth Day event (now called Nature Day), the series' only sloth has been officially confirmed. Leif is a gardener introduced in Animal Crossing: New Leaf, where he ran the Gardening Store. In addition to being able to buy seeds, fertilizer and house plants from him, Leif could also help pull weeds in town where there were 50 or more. A laid-back and easygoing creature, Leif has a tendency to call items "happy," which could be a reference to Bob Ross.
In New Horizons, Leif will run his Garden Shop, setting up shop in front of your Town Hall like Kicks. His store also introduces shrubs, flowering bushes you can plant around your town. Just like flowers, shrubs come in different species and colors. So far, we've seen pink and white azaleas and orange and yellow-tea-olives. New Leaf also featured Hydrangeas, Hibiscus and Holly, so there's a chance these could return. Since Nook's Cranny already sells flower seeds, perhaps Leif will provide seeds for flowers you normally wouldn't be able to find on your island.
Redd
Crazy Redd (now called Jolly Redd in New Horizons) is finally making his return. This sly fox has been around since Animal Forest, the Japan-only precursor to the Animal Crossing series. In past games, Redd has set up his tent in town and sold furniture and paintings, some of which were forgeries.
Prior to New Leaf, there was no way to tell whether or not a painting was a forgery without either trying to sell it to Tom Nook or donating it to Blathers. New Leaf gave players a chance to tell if the artwork Redd was selling was fake without having to purchase it, as forged items would look different than authentic ones. This gave players with some art history knowledge a way to avoid being scammed.
In New Horizons, Redd has moved from a tent to a boat. Jolly Redd's Treasure Trawler will dock on the hidden beach at the Northern part of your island, once again selling furniture and art. The trailer show the player closely inspecting a painting, indicating that the ability to tell authentic works from forgeries will return. Alongside Redd and the artwork, the Museum is also receiving an Art Gallery expansion, though it's unclear how this will occur.
Cyrus and Reese
Animal Crossing's only alpacas are this husband and wife duo introduced in New Leaf. In that game, they ran Re-Tail, a store where players could sell items to Reese, place items in the flea market (where villagers would potentially purchase them for far higher than their normal resale value) and have Cyrus alter furniture.
Cyrus and Reese will be a part of the Wedding Season event taking place during the month of June. You will help the couple take their anniversary photos on Photopia, rearranging furniture and decorations to get the perfect shot.
Rover
While not officially revealed like the others, we can see from behind a cat who is the same color as Rover who is wearing his signature sweater. Like Redd, Rover's been a part of the series since the very beginning. In fact, he was actually the first character the player spoke to when setting up their game in all previous titles except for Animal Crossing: Wild World where Kapp'n took this role.
While New Horizons gave Timmy and Tommy the job of helping players set up their initial appearance, Rover appears to be back as part of the May Day event. Not much has been revealed about the May Day Tour, but Rover's placement behind what seems to be a maze could indicate that this is a puzzle where players have to make it to Rover or gather items for him.