If 2020 was the year of Animal Crossing, 2026 might just be the year of Tomodachi Life. Nintendo recently announced the upcoming sequel—over a decade after its predecessor—and queer fans are already spinning theories. Based on the trailer and Nintendo’s prior statements, fans have good reason to believe same-sex romances are coming to Tomodachi Life.
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Tomodachi Life was a light, wholesome social sim released for the Nintendo 3DS back in 2013. It featured customizable Miis (Nintendo’s goofy avatars introduced with the Wii console) each with different personalities interacting, making friends and getting married in an island community designed by the player. (“Tomodachi” if you didn’t already know, means “friends” in Japanese).
The game earned an enduring fanbase for its pure charm and cozy appeal, so much so that it nearly broke the top ten list for best-selling 3DS titles. But for all that love, the series has been seemingly abandoned in the decade since.
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Fans have long held out hope for a sequel, especially after the unprecedented success of Animal Crossing in 2020. There is even an X/Twitter account dedicated to tracking the thousands of days since the last entry to the series—an account that got a big shock last Thursday.
Nintendo announced the long-awaited sequel, Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, with a trailer during the March 27 Nintendo Direct showcase. The sequel boasts improved graphics, voice acting and…giant Miis?? We’ll have to wait until it ships next year to find out what that’s all about.
But the best (and long overdue) update to the series would be the inclusion of same-sex romance, a shortcoming players criticized in the first Tomodachi Life game. The new trailer ends with an ambiguous interaction between two female Miis, and queer fans have thoughts.
Nintendo has not yet confirmed whether gay relationships will be featured in the new game. However, in 2014 Nintendo apologized for not including same-sex romance in the original release, according to IGN. “We pledge that if we create a next installment in the Tomodachi series, we will strive to design a game-play experience from the ground up that is more inclusive, and better represents all players,” they said at the time.
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream launches on Nintendo Switch in 2026.
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