Will I Lose Villagers if I Time Travel in Animal Crossing: New Horizons?
The short answer is: no, not directly. Unlike previous Animal Crossing titles, villagers in New Horizons will not automatically move out simply because you time travel. This is a significant change, offering players much more control over their island community. However, while time travel itself doesn’t trigger villager departures, there are some important nuances to be aware of, especially concerning manipulating villager departures and the other effects of altering the in-game clock. Let’s dive into the details.
Time Travel and Villager Departures: The Truth
The biggest fear for many players when considering time travel is the potential loss of beloved villagers. Fortunately, Nintendo designed New Horizons to prevent this kind of accidental heartbreak. In this version of the game, villagers will only leave your island if you explicitly give them permission. This means they will approach you with a thought bubble and ask to move away. You have the option to either encourage them to stay or wish them well on their new adventure.
What Doesn’t Cause Villagers to Move Out
It is crucial to understand what doesn’t trigger villager departures:
- Time Traveling Forward: Skipping days, weeks, or even months into the future will not cause a villager to pack up and leave without your consent.
- Time Traveling Backward: Similarly, traveling to the past does not automatically trigger a villager to leave.
- Prolonged Inactivity: Returning after a long break, even months or years, will not result in an automatic villager exodus.
How Time Travel Is Related to Villager Departures
While time travel doesn’t directly cause villagers to move out, it is a commonly used tactic for manipulating villager departures. Here’s how that works:
- Finding a Moving-Out Request: You can use time travel to quickly cycle through days, looking for the villager who has a thought bubble and wants to leave.
- The “Two Week” Method: A popular method involves finding the date on which a villager asks to move, then traveling back two weeks. After saving, you travel forward two weeks, returning to the moving request date, and checking to see if the chosen villager still has the moving thought bubble. Repeat as needed to get your desired result.
- Villager Plot Management: If you have an empty plot and travel backward, you risk a random villager moving in without your input. But if you time travel backward after inviting a villager to move into your village you can go back to your present day after the villager is in their moving boxes, by syncing your clock, and they will be fully moved in.
The Downsides of Time Travel
While time travel is generally safe for your villager roster, it’s not without consequences. These can include:
- Weeds: Each day, three weeds will grow on your island. Time-traveling forward can lead to an island overgrown with weeds.
- Turnips: Time travel can severely affect the turnip market. Traveling backward or to a Sunday will instantly spoil them.
- Missed Events: Time travel can disrupt the sequence of in-game events. You may miss special days or find yourself out of sync with event timers.
- Rusting Furniture: Items left outdoors might rust if not used frequently.
- Cockroaches in the House: Returning to your house after extended time away, caused by time-travel or not, can sometimes lead to the discovery of cockroaches in your home.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Can I accidentally lose a new villager if I time travel back?
Yes, there’s a specific scenario where you could lose a new villager. If you have an empty plot and time travel backwards, a random villager could move in. However, if a villager is “in boxes” (meaning they are packed and ready to move in), you can time travel back to your present time by syncing your clock and they will be fully moved in.
2. Does time travel affect villagers moving in?
Yes, it can speed up the process. If you’ve sold a plot and travel backward, when you reload the game, the villager’s house will be up and they’ll be unpacking. However, this villager is safe from being lost.
3. What are the main consequences of time travel?
The most common consequences are an overgrowth of weeds, spoiled turnips, and the potential disruption of special events and timelines.
4. How can I use time travel to get rid of a villager?
You can use the “Two Week” Method to locate a moving request. Travel back two weeks from the date of the request. Then travel forward to that date and see if your desired villager still wants to leave. This method will help to force the villager you want to leave to pack up.
5. Is there a limit to how far I can time travel?
Yes, the game will only let you progress between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2060.
6. What happens if I don’t play for a long time?
Your island will grow weeds, your flowers may die, your villagers will mention how long you’ve been gone, and you may find cockroaches in your house, but no villagers will move out without your permission.
7. How can I encourage a villager to move out without time travel?
The most common method is to ignore the villager you want gone, and give gifts to the others every day. Eventually, the villager you are ignoring will get a thought bubble and want to leave.
8. Is it safe to travel back in time?
Yes, there are no long-term consequences. You will get any anti-TT protections that are in place, but nothing will seriously hurt you.
9. How often can villagers ask to move out?
Once a villager has moved out, no villagers will ask to leave for 15 days. And if you convince a villager to stay, no villagers will ask to move out for 5 days.
10. What happens if I don’t interact with Wisp’s spirit pieces?
The spirit pieces will disappear. Wisp will return the next night and you’ll have to start all over again.
11. Is it okay to time travel backwards if I have turnips?
No, going backward will cause your turnips to rot. You can time travel forward to the following Saturday, but not past it.
12. Can I time travel in Animal Crossing in 2023?
Yes, you can still use time travel in ACNH. If you’re participating in in-game events, it is best to sync your clock back to real-time before participating in any event.
13. Do villagers leave if they have a low friendship with the player?
Yes, villagers with low friendship have a higher chance of asking to move out.
14. Why won’t any of my villagers ask to leave?
If you have 8 or less villagers, no one will ask to move. If the last villager you invited to the island still lives there, they will not ask to leave until someone else moves in. Also, villagers with birthdays in the next week, or their house is being moved will not ask to leave.
15. Why haven’t my villagers moved in yet?
Make sure you have an open plot of land available. If you invite a villager to your island, they will start moving in the next day.
Conclusion
Time travel in Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a powerful tool, but it’s crucial to understand its implications. While you won’t lose villagers automatically by time traveling, you need to be aware of the potential negative effects and how time travel can be used to manipulate villager departures. With careful planning and some knowledge, you can make time travel work for you without the fear of losing your favorite neighbors. Remember, your island is yours to shape and explore, so use the game’s tools to create the Animal Crossing experience you desire!