Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp to end service in November, but a new paid offline version is coming

If you’ve been on Twitter today, you’ve likely seen Animal Crossing trending and wondered whether a new console game was on the horizon. There’s still no news on that front, but there is news relating to the mobile game Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp.

Pocket Camp has been a staple in the cozy gaming world since it first released back in 2017, and it’s maintained a dedicated player base throughout that time. It allows players to take Animal Crossing with them literally in their pocket, constantly updating and evolving with new events and things to do. 

Sadly, Nintendo announced today that Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp will be shutting down on November 29.

Players who are currently paying for a Pocket Camp Club subscription, or anyone who signs up for a subscription before October 28, will be able to continue using their Pocket Camp Club benefits until the shut down on November 29 at no extra cost. If your subscription is set to renew between October 28 and November 29, you’ll continue receiving benefits after the usual renewal date, but you won’t need to pay for renewal. 

As for Leaf Tickets, you won’t be able to purchase any additional Tickets after November 26, but you will be able to continue spending any that you have until shutdown on November 29. You’ll need to make sure you do this, because Leaf Tickets will not be transferable to the new offline app.

While this could all have been devastating news for anyone who has spent hours increasing their level, improving friendships with campers, and pouring their hearts into creative designs for their campsites, there is a light on the horizon and it’s far from all doom and gloom. 

Rather than simply shutting down the game and leaving players at a loose end, Nintendo will be releasing a paid, offline version of Pocket Camp. Anyone with a save file in the current version will be able to import their save file to the paid version, allowing them to continue their game offline. 

What’s more, according to Nintendo, the paid version of Pocket Camp (which is as yet unnamed) will have no micro-transactions or subscription costs, such as the Pocket Camp Club plans. After a one-time purchase, you’re free to play as much as you like. 

There are some downsides to this new offline version of Pocket Camp. Gifting, visiting other players’ camps, and Market Boxes will no longer be available, so Pocket Camp will become very much a single player endeavor. While some social aspects of the game may be lost in this transition, it seems like a small price to pay for not losing all of the effort put into perfecting your camp.

There is no concrete release date for the new offline version of Pocket Camp as of yet, but Nintendo will be announcing further information ‘around October’. As a long-time player of Pocket Camp, I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for any new updates.