Joe Biden’s island seemingly banned from Animal Crossing: New Horizons under new rules

New rule stipulates: ‘Please refrain from bringing politics into the game’

New Animal Crossing: New Horizons guidelines published by Nintendo have seemingly banned Joe Biden’s island from the hit game.

The Vice President-elect had launched his own island on the game before the 2020 US election, to help encourage voter participation among younger people.

Coinciding with the game’s winter update, however, Nintendo has specified that the game should no longer be used for political purposes.

Among a list of rules prohibiting vulgar or offensive content is the stipulation: “Please also refrain from bringing politics into the Game.”

The new rules also state that players cannot use New Horizons “as a marketing platform that directs people to activities or campaigns outside the game (including directing people to a sales page, distributing coupons, sweepstakes, giveaways, requiring consumers to follow social network services accounts, gathering customers’ information, or other invitational activities)”.

While the rules appear to prohibit island’s like the one belonging to Biden, the Vice President-elect’s island is still up and running on the game, and can be visited by players.

The rules also state: “Any business use of the Game that exceeds the rules set forth herein shall be permitted only with the separate and express, written permission of Nintendo.”

Yesterday (18 November), it was announced that New Horizons has been nominated for three prizes at The Game Awards, in the Game of the Year, Best Family and Best Multiplayer Categories.

New Horizons was also recently used as part of an Oxford University study into the effects of video game use on mental health.

The lead researcher claimed that the study shows “that if you play four hours a day of Animal Crossing, you’re a much happier human being, but that’s only interesting because all of the other research before this is done so badly.”