Can a Friend Take a Villager from Your Island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons?
Yes, a friend can take a villager from your island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, but only under very specific circumstances. The villager must be in the process of moving out, meaning they are “in boxes” in their home, preparing to leave the next day. If your friend has an open plot of land on their island, they can visit your island, talk to the villager, and invite them to move in. It’s a wonderful way to ensure a beloved villager finds a new home with someone you trust!
Understanding Villager Adoption in Animal Crossing: New Horizons
The concept of villager adoption is a cornerstone of the Animal Crossing community. Players often form strong bonds with their virtual residents, and the idea of letting one go can be bittersweet. Fortunately, the game provides a mechanism for ensuring these villagers find happy homes elsewhere.
However, the process isn’t as simple as just handing over a villager. Several conditions must be met for a successful “adoption”:
- The villager must be moving out: This is the most crucial requirement. A villager must be “in boxes,” meaning their house is filled with packed belongings, and they are preparing to leave the following day.
- Your friend must have an open plot: Your friend needs to have an empty space on their island where a new villager can move in. If their island is already at its maximum of 10 residents, they cannot invite a villager from your island.
- Timing is everything: Your friend must visit your island on the specific day the villager is packing up. If they visit before or after, they will not be able to invite the villager.
- Communication is key: Clear communication between you and your friend is essential to coordinate the visit and ensure they have the opportunity to speak with the villager.
Why Villager Adoption Matters
Villager adoption adds a layer of community and interconnectedness to Animal Crossing: New Horizons. It allows players to share their favorite villagers with friends, ensuring these virtual characters continue to bring joy to others. It also adds a sense of realism, mirroring the experience of real-life communities where residents move in and out, fostering relationships and shared experiences. The Games Learning Society explores how games foster social connections and learning, mirroring many aspects of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Check out GamesLearningSociety.org for more.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Villager Transfers
Here are 15 frequently asked questions to further clarify the ins and outs of villager transfers in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
1. Can other people take villagers from my campsite?
No, campsite villagers can only be recruited by players from the town that they are camping in. This means your friends cannot invite a villager staying at your campsite to move to their island. However, campsite villagers can move in even if you have a full town, but the resident they choose to kick out will be random (unless you invited the camper with an amiibo card, allowing you to choose who they replace).
2. Can you take a friend’s villager if your island is full?
No, you cannot take a friend’s villager if your island is already at its maximum of 10 residents. If you attempt to invite a villager when your island is full, the game will inform you that there’s no room, and the villager will stay on your friend’s island until they move out naturally. You must have an open plot of land available.
3. Can I remove villagers from my island by ignoring them?
While ignoring a villager may eventually lead to them wanting to move out, it’s not a guaranteed or particularly efficient method. There’s no definitive way to force a villager to leave. The process is largely random, although certain actions (or inactions) can influence the likelihood.
4. Can I take other people’s villagers who are NOT packing up?
No, you can only invite villagers who are actively packing up their home and preparing to move out the next day. There will never be a dialog option to ask villagers in a regular state, or those who are moving in, to move to your island. You have to wait for them to decide to leave.
5. How do I know when a villager is moving out?
You’ll usually see them walking around with a thought bubble above their head. If you talk to them, they’ll express their desire to move away. Alternatively, other villagers may gossip about someone planning to leave.
6. Can I convince a villager to stay if they are packing up?
Yes, if a villager tells you they want to move out, you can convince them to stay. Simply choose the option that expresses your desire for them to remain on your island. This will reset their moving process, and it may be some time before they consider leaving again.
7. How often do villagers want to leave my island?
Once a villager moves out, other villagers cannot ask to move out for approximately 15 days. If a villager asks to move out but you convince them to stay, then other villagers cannot ask to move out for about five days.
8. Does complaining to Isabelle make villagers leave?
No, complaining to Isabelle at Resident Services about a villager does not influence their decision to move out. Reporting a villager to Isabelle only addresses issues like inappropriate clothing or catchphrases.
9. What happens if I invite a camper when my island is full?
If you have a full island and invite a camper to stay, they will offer to replace a villager already living on the island. However, the villager they ask to replace is randomly generated, so you won’t be able to choose who leaves unless you invite the camper using an amiibo card.
10. Will villagers leave without my permission?
No, in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, villagers will never leave without your permission. They will always ask you first if they can move out, giving you the opportunity to convince them to stay.
11. Does hitting villagers with a net make them want to leave?
No, while hitting villagers with a net might seem like a way to annoy them into leaving, it actually counts as attention, which can paradoxically make them less likely to move. The most effective strategy for encouraging a villager to leave is to completely ignore them.
12. What happens if I never talk to a villager?
If you never talk to a villager, they can still move out, but they won’t ping you to initiate the conversation about moving. You need to have spoken to them at least once for them to approach you about leaving.
13. Can Isabelle get rid of villagers I don’t like?
No, talking to Isabelle at Resident Services about a specific villager will not make them move out. Isabelle can only help with issues like resetting a villager’s clothing or catchphrase.
14. Can I give a villager to a friend by sending them to another island?
No, there’s no direct way to “send” a villager to another island. The only way for a friend to acquire a villager from your island is if the villager is already in the process of moving out and your friend has an open plot on their island.
15. What is amiibo and how is it related to villagers?
Amiibo are collectible figures and cards that interact with Nintendo games. In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, you can use amiibo cards of specific villagers to invite them to your campsite. If your island is full, inviting a camper with an amiibo card allows you to choose which resident they will replace, giving you more control over who moves in and out.