Interest Rates Plummet in 'Animal Crossing: New Horizons'
Nintendo has tightened savings accounts at the Bank of Nook.
One of the unexpected updates recently applied to Animal Crossing: New Horizons was a surprising change to the Bank of Nook. Nintendo unexpectedly cut interest rates offered by Tom Nook’s bank, with rumors suggesting that the move was intended to snuff out a controversial “time travel” mechanic, as Kotaku notes.
Originally, the Bank of Nook paid 0.5 percent interest on users’ savings, which has since dropped to 0.05 percent. Furthermore, total interest that can be earned on any savings amount has been capped at 9,999 bells (the series’ currency).
The news drew ire from the Animal Crossing community, with gamers positing that the change is a response to a “time travel” technique, wherein players move their Switch‘s internal clock forward to instantly garner boosted interest — Nintendo hasn’t confirmed that the clock tinkering prompted the shift.
With the diminished interest rate in place, players’ prime money-making approach will involve the in-game “stalk” market. This sees turnips sold to investors within the week of their harvest for fluctuating prices, lest the vegetables rot and their value vanishes. To soften the blow, Nook himself sent an in-game letter to island residents, apologizing “for any inconvenience” and offering a free gift of a bell-shaped floor mat.
Prior to the controversial interest rate drop, a Korean Animal Crossing fan created an ’80s-inspired intro for the new game.
