New information discovered by data mining a recent patch of Animal Crossing: New Horizons contains hints that shady art dealer and series regular Redd will be returning to this installment. Data found in the update implies a reason for the hidden cove found on the northern coast of each player’s island.
Redd dates back to the very first Animal Crossing, where this apron-wearing fox sold paintings and other items from a tent dubiously labeled “black market,” with the “black” crossed out with red ink. From the information found in files of New Horizons, it seems that Redd will be operating in a similarly suspicious way, arriving to the player’s northernmost shore in “Jolly Redd’s Treasure Trawler.” The data also indicates that the town museum will be filling its vacant space with an art gallery, presumably in an update for International Museum Day.
The April 23rd update patch included data for a number of other upcoming events in the game that will be bringing their own familiar faces. Leif the Sloth is returning for “Nature Day,” Animal Crossing’s own version of Earth Day where the player will be rewarded for planting trees, flowers, and other nature-friendly activities. Nintendo has also hinted at a May Day event that will allow the player to visit a one-time island where a special visitor awaits them.
A shady character like Redd is sure to have a colorful history. He’s appeared in every main Animal Crossing game to date, and in each one he’s seemed pretty dodgy. In Wild World, Redd required a password to enter his tent, and in City Folk, Redd’s shop was invite-only and located in a gloomy alley. In New Leaf, “Cousin Redd” would offer the player a choice of four real-world art pieces, but only one item was genuine. It was up to the buyer to distinguish the subtle changes made to the three forgeries.
It looks as though Redd will be continuing his illicit art dealings in his return to New Horizons, so players may want to brush up on their art history to avoid getting fleeced by this sly fox. Previous examples of his forgeries include increasing the size of Mount Fuji in The Great Wave off Kanagawa, and reversing the position of the Mona Lisa’s hands. Could it be that this fox has been hounded by authorities into peddling his bootleg art from international waters? It’s hard to say for sure, but be warned — no refunds!
