'Animal Crossing' & 'DOOM Eternal' Release Date Similarity Sparks Reddit Crossover
Both Animal Crossing: New Horizon and DOOM Eternal share the same March 20 release date, leading to a surprisingly wholesome pact between fans of the hellish shooter and Nintendo Switch social simulator.
While gamers have noted the overlap between the two extremely different games ever since the DOOM Eternal release date was delayed in October, fan art posted to reddit this week ignited a mutual celebration of the two games' impending arrival.
"REDDITORS of Animal Crossing, I bid you good day as I come from the DOOM community," a redditor posted on Monday after sharing artwork celebrating both games. "Please know that we fully support your game as it launches at the same time as our game. Let us support each other and wish the best for both games. I wish you a hellishly good day," the source post reads.
The fan art, credited to rakiat97, depicts the Doom Slayer, DOOM Eternal'splayer-protagonist, sharing his love of Animal Crossing with Isabelle, a Shih Tzu in a sweater vest who assists the player in their new role as the mayor of a community populated by anthropomorphic critters.
The moment of shared appreciation unleashed a flood of fan art mashing up the violent, demonic world of DOOM Eternal with Animal Crossing's bucolic depiction of small town life, with gamers across the platform spectrum reveling in the mutual good vibes.
— Daniel ✨ (@BestDanielNA) February 18, 2020
— Ccmonty (@Ccmonty2) February 18, 2020
— âš¡VectorinoManâš¡ (@Vectorino3) February 18, 2020
— Clayton Baslee (@CBaslee125) February 19, 2020
fyi the doom and animal crossing communities keep posting crossover fanart in each others subs and it's just the greatest thing pic.twitter.com/LS3QBVQefS
— Jacob Mills (@JacobWMills) February 17, 2020
Doom and Animal Crossing fans coming together and supporting each other is the most wholesome thing I've seen in a long time.
— Borkbin (@BorkbinVEVO) February 19, 2020
Players even swapped the two games' logos, creating the most angelic possible version of the demon-hunting, first-person shooter's title art imaginable.
— The Funkadelic Mister MidKnight #SaveTrickMoon (@IAmMrMidKnight) February 19, 2020
The DOOM social media account acknowledged the crossover on Tuesday, responding to the announcement of an Animal Crossing-centered Nintendo Direct (official video communications featuring news and upcoming game previews) by asking for Isabelle.
will Isabelle be there
— DOOM (@DOOM) February 18, 2020
Following Animal Crossing: New Leaf, released for the Nintendo 3DS in 2013, New Horizons is the first game in the series for Nintendo Switch. The latest Animal Crossing is set on a deserted island, where players can build a utopia for friends and animal townsfolk to enjoy.
Like previous games in the series—first launched for the Nintendo 64 in 2001—New Horizons emphasizes open-ended gameplay and social interactions that vary based on the time of day and the time of year players re-enter the world. But New Horizons will also focus more on crafting than previous entries in the series, with a new system that empowers players to collect raw materials and build out their island however they choose.
DOOM Eternal is... different.
In the sequel to 2016's acclaimed DOOM reboot, players will once again step into the Doom Slayer armor, this time to beat back the demonic forces that have overtaken Earth. Players are encouraged to tear apart enemies with chainsaws and the new "Meat Hook" grappling weapon. In this game, the focus is on intense, fast-paced shooting encounters, buoyed by blood and gore.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons will be released for Nintendo Switch on March 20. On the same day, DOOM Eternal will be released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC and Google Stadia.
