For many players, a game save represents dozens or even hundreds of hours of memories. Recently, however, an Animal Crossing: New Horizons player said on X that a relative’s child had deleted both her game data and friend list. When she asked why, she was reportedly told it was “because they were jealous”—an answer that left her stunned.
The post quickly drew attention on X, with users expressing sympathy for the player and alarm at the apparent motive behind the deletion.
The player, who posts under the name “きっき あつ森垢” on X, said that a relative’s child had deleted her Animal Crossing save data and friend list. When asked why, the child apparently said they had been jealous, leaving her with no choice but to begin again from scratch. She admitted that she was so devastated the following day that she could not bring herself to do anything. She now plans to start by searching for a new island and gradually rebuild, meaning she will also be unable to proceed with her previously planned activities for the time being.
After seeing the post, many players who regularly interact with her on X offered words of encouragement and said they were willing to help with the rebuilding process however they could. Others shared their own experiences of having game saves deleted, saying they understood the devastating feeling of suddenly seeing everything reset to zero.
One X user recalled having a game save deleted as a child by the younger brother of a classmate they barely knew. “I still haven’t forgiven him,” the user wrote, adding that they could clearly remember the emptiness they felt at the time.
More than the deletion itself, the reported explanation—“because they were jealous”—became a major focus of the replies. Many users found the idea of deleting someone else’s save out of envy deeply unsettling, with one comment reading, “The motive is terrifying. What are the parents doing?”
Some users argued that jealousy itself is an understandable emotion, but turning that feeling into an act that destroys something important to another person is an entirely different matter. Others said the child’s guardians needed to respond appropriately and teach them why the behavior was wrong, expressing concern that something similar could happen again if it went unaddressed.
Other users focused on whether the save might still be recoverable. Some advised the player to contact Nintendo and ask about the Animal Crossing: New Horizons save-data recovery service. They suggested that if the island backup feature had previously been enabled, there might still be a chance of receiving assistance from Nintendo Support.
However, these suggestions were based on other users’ understanding of Nintendo’s support information. Whether the recovery service can be used when someone else deliberately deletes a save would still need to be confirmed directly with Nintendo.
In response to the many messages of concern and offers of assistance, the player said that although her game data was gone, “the friends I met here haven’t disappeared.” She found comfort in knowing that she still had many dependable friends willing to help and said she would slowly begin rebuilding her island from the ground up.
For longtime Animal Crossing players, building an island, collecting furniture and items, and creating memories with friends can represent an enormous investment of time and effort. The incident served as another reminder that a game save is not merely a collection of digital data—it can hold countless hours of work and memories that are deeply important to the person behind it.
via： X@Kikki_atumori