After two months since its release, many Animal Crossing: New Horizons players have perfected their island look with a five-star rating. Whether through terraforming, planting many hybrid flowers, or changing up the scenery, players have turned their island into something they truly desire to travel to each day.
Some players, though, want to finish out this process by hand-picking their favorite villagers. Through the online community of New Horizons, one villager stands out from the rest, and that is the smug cat, Raymond.
Why Raymond is Popular
Raymond was introduced to Animal Crossing series in New Horizons and, along with the other new villagers, has been added to the mobile game, Pocket Camp. Since then, he has gained recognition for his originality. Raymond's style is non-traditional for Animal Crossing, possessing facial features that are quite unique in comparison with other cats in the series.
Fans have expressed their adoration for his heterochromia, a condition that makes his eyes two different colors. This is a rare condition in the real-world, but one that is popular amongst cat lovers. Players also like Raymond's style. By default, Raymond wears a waistcoat and tie, fitting for a cat whose house is styled to look like an office.
Raymond has the Smug personality type. This means he'll make comically snarky phrases towards players and other villagers, and he has a pompous attitude that many fans find entertaining to watch and interact with. There are 34 other Smug villagers in New Horizons, making it the second rarest personality type in the game. This only increases Raymond's desirability, as his style and personality are both uncommon.
Deals to Obtain Raymond
New Horizons' popularity has caused many online communities to sprout up that promote the trading of in-game items, resources and even villagers. Raymond is one of the most popular villagers on such sites with an average worth of 1,500,000 Bells on Nookazon. Those looking for Raymond will need luck and resources on their side. In some cases, the Smug cat has gone for thousands of Nook Miles Tickets, while others have asked for several rare villagers in exchange for Raymond.
Unfortunately, some deals have gone south. Scams are rampant in the Animal Crossing Black Market, leaving players unsatisfied and swindled of their hard-earned Bells. Since such trades aren't really endorsed by Nintendo, there's not really a way to punish these players for their actions in-game. This leaves it to moderators of these online sources to take precautions against scammers.
Making Things Right
While this isn't true for all Raymond traders, many that offer the cute cat have hacked him onto their village through save data manipulation. While the actual act of hacking may be frowned upon within some circles, players like PokéNinja have taken it upon themselves to right the wrongs of others. They, along with other hackers, have gifted the beloved Raymond free of charge to counteract the nefarious actions of some on the Black Market.
While searching for a specific villager without external help can be incredibly time-consuming, those who use online resources needs to stay vigilant in their search. Raymond has proven to be one of the hottest commodities on the Animal Crossing Black Market, and players should play it safe when dealing with such a precious villager.