Animal Crossing: New Horizons Will Apparently Stop Working in 39 Years

gamerant.com:

Animal Crossing: New Horizons was a massive hit for the Nintendo Switch, releasing just as the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns were being put into effect and becoming a go-to game for many looking to pass the time in quarantine. Like past Animal Crossing games, Animal Crossing: New Horizons is really a game with no end, as players can complete tasks on their islands and collect bells indefinitely. Or almost indefinitely, at least.

It was recently discovered that Animal Crossing: New Horizons only works up to a certain real-world date. As discovered by Reddit user AdTrue4863, Animal Crossing: New Horizons doesn't work if the Nintendo Switch's internal clock is set to 2061. This effectively means Animal Crossing: New Horizons will stop working in 39 years, but luckily for those in the future, there's a way to fix the problem.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons Player Completes Shrek-Themed Island

If Animal Crossing: New Horizons players boot up the game with their clock set to any date in 2061 or beyond, they are met with a message asking them to close it and set a new date. The options players are given are any time between the years 2000 and 2060, so that's quite the range to choose from. What's interesting about this fix is that it seemingly shows Nintendo endorsing Animal Crossing time travel, which is a touchy subject in the game's community.

For those who may not be aware how Animal Crossing works, the games run on real time, based on the internal clock of whatever console they're running on. When it's nighttime in real life, it's also nighttime in Animal Crossing. And when the seasons change in real life, so do the seasons change in Animal Crossing. Certain dates in Animal Crossing also have special significance, with players