Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Happy Home Paradise is the game's first paid DLC, and there are two purchase options for the November expansion.

Big news has arrived for Animal Crossing: New Horizons by way of a dedicated Nintendo Direct presentation. This November is bringing not only a final free content update but also the newly revealed Happy Home Paradise DLC to Animal Crossing, which combine to make a huge amount of new content for the game. The New Horizons 2.0 content update will be free to all players, just like previous updates, but Happy Home Paradise is the game's first paid DLC.

There are actually two ways to purchase the Happy Home Paradise DLC: individually or as part of Nintendo Switch Online's new subscription tier. The New Horizons expansion can be bought on its own through the Nintendo eShop for a one-time price of $24.99 USD, but users can also acquire it via the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack model, which becomes available October 26. The NSO + Expansion Pack subscription has two pricing options: $49.99 per year for an individual and $79.99 for the family plan.

Aside from the Animal Crossing DLC, Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack will let subscribers play ported Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis games on Switch. The new subscription tier for NSO was revealed during the September 2021 Nintendo Direct but was left without pricing information until the day of the Animal Crossing presentation. It's unclear whether Nintendo will continue to add DLC content for New Horizons or other games to the Expansion Pack, but more N64 and Genesis games are confirmed to be coming at a later time.

Which Happy Animal Crossing Home Paradise DLC Purchase Option Is Best?

Many avid New Horizons players likely already have a base Nintendo Switch Online subscription - which costs $20 per year if all 12 months are bought concurrently - since it's required for online multiplayer. Upgrading to an individual plan that includes the Expansion Pack would be an additional $30, and New Horizons - Happy Home Paradise is $25 by itself. Getting the Animal Crossing DLC through NSO will also lead to a partial loss of access without an active subscription.

The Expansion Pack adds some convolutedness to Nintendo's arguably lackluster online service, and many fans aren't happy with the Expansion Pack price. Those singularly interested in the Animal Crossing DLC might be better off simply purchasing Happy Home Paradise from the eShop outright, since the only other current benefit to upgrading to the NSO + Expansion Pack instead is the N64 and Genesis games. The value of the new content coming to Animal Crossing: New Horizons is subjective, and $25 is on the high end for DLC, but it appears to bring a significant number of new gameplay features.

Next: Animal Crossing Direct: Every New Feature Announced For The Update & DLC

Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Happy Home Paradise will be released for Nintendo Switch on November 5, 2021.