Nintendo just launched Animal Crossing Pocket Camp without microtransactions

We’ve known since August that Nintendo would be shuttering Animal Crossing Pocket Camp on November 28th, which was this past Saturday. The servers are no longer active; there is no way to play the microtransaction-ridden game. There is, however, a way to play the game without any microtransactions in sight: the full campsite managing game is still kicking but in a new premium form. That’s right, Nintendo has released Animal Crossing Pocket Camp Complete on the Play Store, and as the name suggests, it’s the complete game without any in-app purchases to be seen. The thing is, you’ll have to pay for the privilege, as Pocket Camp Complete is listed as a premium release that retails for $20, and you can knock that price in half by picking it up right now for $10 to celebrate the launch.

Nintendo has created a video that offers an overview of what to expect from Pocket Camp Complete, and as you can imagine, it’s the same content from the original version, now free of in-app purchases of any kind. What’s nice is that even though the servers for the original game are down, seasonal events are still planned for Pocket Camp Complete, which are expected to land at a similar pace to the original version.

Existing players can transfer their saves, and all you need is a Nintendo account connected to the original to move that save over to the new version, which Nintendo details in full through a tutorial.

Pocket Camp Complete brings new mechanics

Of course, since Animal Crossing Pocket Camp was originally designed as a free-to-play game with mechanics centered around paying for things, some changes were necessary to rebalance the game for its premium release. You can expect new items like Complete Tickets, which you can earn during events to then trade in for limited edition items. Camper Cards are another new feature, and not only can you style your own, but you can trade with friends to build a collection.

It also appears an online connection is no longer necessary, past downloading and updating the game along with signing into your Nintendo account. This does create a knock-on problem. Your save for Pocket Camp Complete is stored locally, so if you delete the game, you’ll delete your save, too.

All in all, it’s nice to see Nintendo leaning into game preservation with a mobile release like Animal Crossing Pocket Camp Complete. Instead of losing the game forever once the servers closed, Nintendo has provided a way to keep the fun going, and you can play offline to boot, without having to worry about any in-app purchases. Sure, you’ll have to pay for the privilege, but really, the sale price of $10 isn’t that big of an ask for a game that could last players hundreds of hours. So, if you’re a fan of Animal Crossing but never dipped your toes into Pocket Camp because of the aggressive monetization, there is now a way to play without this annoyance, offering all of the fun of managing a campsite without unnecessary headaches, ensuring Camp Complete can exist as one of Android’s better games.