Is there anything worse than dealing with an annoying villager in Animal Crossing: New Horizons? Well, maybe there is, but perhaps you’re thinking about kicking one of them off your island. Sometimes the little nickname they have for you might rub you the wrong way, and you just can’t stand it anymore. How exactly do you go about removing them?
As of right now, there isn’t a quick and easy method that 100% guarantees a villager will be dismissed from your island. In fact, whether a villager is thinking of moving out appears to be somewhat random. Many players have their own theories that supposedly work, but there are a lot out there that are flat-out wrong. For instance, some have claimed that bonking a villager on the head with a net will cause them to get mad at you, leading to them requesting to move. Others have stated that complaining to Isabelle in Residential Services might cause a villager to leave. Both of these are untrue. However, there are a couple of methods that seem to work.
You’ll know a villager is ready to move out when they have a cloud above their head. After talking to them, they’ll tell you they’ve been thinking of moving out, and if you agree, they’ll be off the island in a couple of days. To speed this process along, try one of the following methods.
Avoid them
Your villagers can often be found walking around the island. In normal circumstances, you’d probably be inclined to walk up to them to strike up a conversation. However, if you want a villager to move out, do not interact with them. Try to avoid starting conversations, and even keep your distance from them. Talk to the other villagers instead. Some players will build a fence around the villager’s home to keep them trapped so you won’t accidentally run into them.
What’s odd is that some villagers might request to move even if you talk to them every day. That’s why many players believe it’s random. Either way, you will eventually be prompted to kick a villager out if you ignore them.
Amiibo cards
The other method requires you to have the Animal Crossing amiibo cards. These can be found online as part of blind packs, or you can find individual cards from sellers on eBay. What you can do is use an amiibo card to replace someone on your island. To do so, head to Residential Services and interact with the machine. Use the Amiibo option to summon whichever card you have. Make sure it’s a villager and not a worker like Tom Nook or Isabelle.
They’ll then visit your town as a camper. Fulfill their requests, and keep pestering them to move in. Eventually, they’ll agree and will move in the next day, assuming you have extra slots available. Remember, you can only have ten villagers on your island at any given time.
However, if your island is full, you’ll be prompted to replace a villager with the one summoned from the amiibo card. The nice thing is that you get to choose which villager they replace by negotiating with them. A list of your villagers will appear, giving you the option to pick which one to kick out. This method also works with random campers, but the downside is that you’ll have to wait for them to show up. With amiibo cards, you can summon specific villagers at your own convenience.