Trying to figure out how to restart Animal Crossing: New Horizons? We’ve got you covered. Stick around for a step-by-step guide on starting a new island.
It’s been nearly four years since the wildly successful release of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The Nintendo Switch launch brought with it all-new ways to craft items and make your island your own, encouraging players to get creative with island layouts, villager line-ups, town builds, and more. That said, things can get rather boring once you’ve completed your vision. Restarting your game has likely crossed your mind when you hit a creative wall, but it’s not an easy decision to make. We’ll cover the steps you can take to restart New Horizons — and whether it’s actually worth it in the long run.
In order to start a new island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, you’ll need to clear your save data for your current file on your Nintendo Switch system. This is a tough decision to make, especially if you spent countless hours on an island build. If you’re certain you’d like a fresh start, however, you can easily reset the game by following these steps.
Note: Ensure that you are certain about your decision before deleting your New Horizons save file. Unless you have save data backup enabled another Switch system, you won’t be able to restore your previous island.
It’s rarely worth it to start a new island altogether in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, but there are certainly valid reasons to do so. Unless you’re attempting to reset for a specific island layout or spawn certain villagers, you may have second thoughts about clearing your save data.
Of course, the decision is entirely yours when it comes to starting fresh. Sometimes, your playthrough grows stale and all you need is a blank slate to get the creative juices flowing for a new island build. To be safe, carefully weigh the pros and the cons before resetting your game.
For more on Animal Crossing: New Horizons and similar titles, check out these guides from our team: