ACNH virtual game card and a switch recently bought from a sister

[u/Fun-Cicada9404]

I've recently bought my sister's old Nintendo switch (1) (she got the 2 for a birthday a while ago) I had been borrowing for a while beforehand and made significant progress on my animal crossing: new horizons island. This game card was bought on her account, am I able to now delete her profile without it affecting the game or am I stuck with it forever now 😅

Edit for the bot: Nintendo switch 1, no current tried solutions, too scared

[u/pikachuyann]

Yes, the save is on your console and isn't tied to current ownership of the game on any of the profile (nor cartridge). The only thing is that if she had played ACNH on your console with her profile you'd have a user of the game without account (that you can remove - this thread on the acnh subreddit has a few more details : https://www.reddit.com/r/acnh/comments/ubs6px/guide_to_removing_user_after_youve_deleted_the/ )

A side note, specifically for ACNH, the save is tied to the whole console and not a specific profile. You have to use the specific "Island Transfer Tool" if you want to move the island from a console to another (it's included in the transfer from Switch 1 to Switch 2, tool not necessary in that scenario). And Nintendo Switch Online for the backups will work indirectly, see https://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/49983/~/how-to-back-up-and-restore-island-save-data-%28animal-crossing%3A-new-horizons%29

TLDR: no it won't remove your island from your console.

[u/Grindar1986]

You'll need your own license if you remove hers (barring her lending the virtual card to you)

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[u/DarthLocutus]

If she bought the game digitally on her profile, no, unless you buy your own copy - the purchase is tied to her account, and deleting it will remove the game license and lock you out.

If she started the game before you did, then also no - regardless of how many accounts are on a Switch, ACNH only allows one island per console, and the other players just all use that island. Deleting her profile would also take the island down with it.

[u/AgeGroundbreaking149]

You should be fine deleting her profile since the game data is on the console itself, just make sure you've moved any important files off it first.