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Animal Crossing Bug-Off prize list, how points and trophy rewards work, and future dates explained

I wonder where Blathers is…

The Bug-Off is one of the special events that recurs throughout the Animal Crossing: New Horizons calendar.

During this event you can compete in a Bug-Off minigame to earn points and those obviously mean prizes.

Below you'll find everything you need to know about the Bug-Offs in New Horizons, including the dates for the upcoming Bug-Offs.

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Bug-Off in Animal Crossing: New Horizons explained

A Bug-Off is one of the special events that occur on your island in New Horizons throughout the summer and early autumn months.

During a Bug-Off you'll be able to find Flick in the Residential Services plaza. Talking to him will allow you to partake in the Bug-Off minigame, redeem any points you might have for prizes and sell any of the bugs you've caught.

These bugs will be sold at Flick's inflated prices, so make sure you sell them to him!

You'll be able to compete in the Bug-Off from 9am to 6pm.

Flick, however, won't leave your island till 8pm, so, if you forget to spend your points, you've got some time to run back. Though any unspent points will be saved for the next Bug-Off.

Bug-Off minigame in Animal Crossing: New Horizons explained

The minigame for the Bug-Off in New Horizons is basically the same as the one for the Fishing Tourney, but with the prey being bugs.

Talk to Flick in the Residential Services plaza to begin your first Bug-Off. To get you going, Flick won't charge you for your first round, but, after that, you'll have to pay 500 Bells.

Once you've handed over your entrance fee, Flick will give you roughly five seconds to get to the nearest bug before starting the timer.

You now have three minutes to catch as many bugs as you can.

There's no limit on which bugs you can catch or where you do it, so head to wherever you like on your island and start tossing that net around.

After the three minutes have ended, return to Flick and he'll tally up your points for this round. He'll also offer to buy any bugs that you may have caught and you'll need to ensure that you either sell or take the bugs you've captured, because Flick won't start the next Bug-Off till you do.

If you're using Party Play or have any visitors currently on your island, then these players will be able to partake in your Bug-Off or start one of their own, with any bugs they catch being added in the total score.

If you're the visitor, however, then you can start your own round of the Bug-Off by talking to Flick. He'll even buy your fish and let you redeem your points for prizes.

Bug-Off point system in Animal Crossing: New Horizons explained

Like the Bug-Off minigame, the point system for this event in New Horizons works exactly the same as the one for the Fishing Tourney.

For every bug you catch, you'll receive one point and, if you manage to catch more than three bugs, you'll receive a two point bonus.

If there are other players visiting your island or you're using Party Play, then you'll need to catch a total of five fish, shared between all players, to receive the point bonus. This may seem like a disadvantage, but the point bonus has also been increased to five points and you'll receive it even if you didn't catch a single bug.

If you're visiting a friend's island, then you'll receive double the amount of points during a Bug-Off.

Bug-Off prizes in Animal Crossing: New Horizons explained

You can earn a variety of rewards by competing in the Bug-Off event and then exchanging every ten points you earn for a reward.

These rewards include:

  • Artisanal bug cage
  • Bug aloha shirt
  • Bug backpack
  • Bug cage
  • Bug wand
  • Butterflies wall
  • Ladybug rug
  • Ladybug umbrella
  • Spider doorplate
  • Spider web
  • Termite mound
  • Toy centipede
  • Toy cockroach

You can receive multiple versions of these rewards by redeeming your points on a friend's island.

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Bug-Off trophy rewards in Animal Crossing: New Horizons explained

Depending on your overall net score from the multiple Bug-Offs you can compete in during the day, you can earn one of three trophies in New Horizons.

These trophies, including the net score required, are:

  • Bronze Trophy - net 100 points
  • Silver Trophy - net 200 points
  • Gold Trophy - net 300 points

You'll receive whichever trophy you've earned in the mail the day after the Bug-Off event Sadly, if you didn't earn enough points for a trophy, you'll receive nothing.


The Animal Crossing 2.0 update and Happy Home Paradise is here! We can help you with the new additions - including where to find Brewster, Gyroids, new villagers, ordinances, new fences, storage shed, new hairstyles, Froggy Chair, group stretching and Kapp'n boat tours. Cooking is now unlockable, so you need to know how to make both flour and sugar, as well as how to grow carrots, potatoes and tomatoes. Meanwhile, if you're new to Animal Crossing, our New Horizons tips can help with the basics. From the off, there's fish and bugs to catch, flowers and fruit to grow with. One long term goal is building your Happy Home Academy score. Finally, you need tools such as the new ladder and vaulting pole to fully explore.


Bug-Off dates in Animal Crossing: New Horizons explained

A Bug-Off tournament will occur on your island in New Horizons during the months of summer and early autumn.

In the northern hemisphere, you'll be able to take part in a Bug-Off during the following months:

  • June
  • July
  • August
  • September

While, in the southern hemisphere, you can take part in a Bug-Off during these months:

  • November
  • December
  • January
  • February

Tips for competing in Bug-Offs in Animal Crossing: New Horizons explained

Here are some tips that will help you become the champion of the Bug-Off:

  • Pack multiple nets! It's a promised fact that your net is going to break at some point during a Bug-Off, so, to avoid ruining a round completely, we suggest bringing multiple nets with you - it's not like you're going to need another tool.
  • Try your best to plan a route. Unlike fish, most bugs can easily move about your island, but that doesn't mean you can't plan out a route. Do a quick scouting mission of the flowers to check for mantis and, once the Bug-Off begins, make sure to visit any hybrid flowers you've grown - you're more likely to find butterflies near them.
  • Choose when to run carefully. Running is both a blessing and a curse when it comes to bug catching; it can allow you to catch that speedy butterfly, but it can also scare away that mantis you've been planning to catch.
  • Don't forget to hit the rocks! There's a variety of ways to find bugs in New Horizons and one that's easy to forget is by hitting rocks.
  • Bank your reward points. Save up your points and then Flick will give you your rewards in bulk rather than one-at-a-time. This little trick will save you a lot of time when it comes to reading dialogue.
  • Sell your captured bugs to Flick. Throughout the Bug-Off, you can sell your bugs to Flick for far higher prices than at Nook's Cranny. Check out our dedicated guide on Flick for this price list.
  • Compete in Bug-Offs on a friend's island. Taking the time to visit a friend's island for a Bug-Off will not only allow you to double the amount of points that you receive for each round, but allow you to gain multiple copies of the various rewards.

Good luck for the Bug-Off!

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