New features in Animal Crossing: New Horizons celebrate inclusivity and representation of the diabetes community.
Screenshot by Shelby Brown/CNETNintendo’s Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Insulet, a maker of tubeless insulin pump technology, are celebrating inclusivity and representation of the diabetes community with some new in-game features.
Animal Crossing players will have access to custom outfits that let them wear an insulin pump or carry an accessory bag for their diabetes supplies. Players can also visit Omnipod Bay, named after a line of Insulet products. The bay is a family-friendly, diabetes-themed island home to new adventures and booths promoting awareness for diabetes advocacy organizations.
“Our hope is that the Animal Crossing integration will help people with diabetes feel more included, connected, and seen in a fun and engaging way,” Lei Mercado, the chief marketing officer of Insulet, said in a statement Thursday. “Representation of people with diabetes is important to us, so we looked for an opportunity to make diabetes part of everyday culture.”
“My brother and I both live with type 1 diabetes, and we grew up playing video games,” Aaron Kowalski, CEO of JDRF International, which funds diabetes research, said in a statement. “If we’d seen this type of diabetes representation in a game as kids, it would have meant so much.”
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