If you were wondering why everybody seems to love Audie in Animal Crossing, here’s why.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the biggest game to hit the Switch since Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and it’s selling fast enough to perhaps eventually out-pace even Nintendo’s famous brawler. The ongoing coronavirus crisis probably has something to do with that as everyone is ordered to stay indoors and try to wait out the pandemic, and what better way to do that than with cute animal people?
Some of you might have noticed a particularly peppy red wolf named Audie that has captured the attention of the Animal Crossing community. That’s because she’s more than just a villager--she’s actually a reference to Audrey, the Animal Crossing-playing Grandma.
Audrey (who goes by Audie in Animal Crossing) came to fame last year after a YouTube video showcased her village in Animal Crossing: New Leaf. She'd managed to achieve 3,580 hours in New Leaf after getting the game in 2015 and had created an expansive village.
Nintendo seemed to have caught wind of Audrey's accomplishment and created a special villager just for her.
Audie the red wolf was first discovered in Nintendo World Report's review video of New Horizons, with excited Animal Crossing fans posting screenshots on Reddit.
The initial video showcasing Audie's New Leaf village was posted by her grandson, Paul Hubans. He's currently caught in the COVID-19 lockdown with symptoms that could be due to the virus, so he's putting plans to visit his grandmother on hold while he self-quarantines in a lakehouse in Pennsylvania.
Meanwhile, Audrey received her brand new Nintendo Switch and a copy of New Horizons a few days before anyone else. She's got a head start on her island and plenty of time to kill, so we expect to see this 88-year-old grandma do some incredible things in the next few years.