Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp is missing the series’ best villager (update)

I got issues with Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp — a lot of issues. This week’s game update, which introduces seven new animal friends to encounter, points to what may be my most recurring frustration with Pocket Camp: Where is Bob?

The purple cat is one of the most beloved villagers in the Animal Crossing franchise. Widely speculated to be the first animal developed for the original GameCube game, Bob has since befriended players in every Animal Crossing entry since.

It’s easy to understand his popularity. At this point, Bob’s a nostalgic symbol: He was the very first villager I met when I booted up Animal Crossing, which has since gone on to become one of my favorite games ever. I’ve crossed my fingers to get him to move to my town in every subsequent game, because it just doesn’t feel right to not have my oldest friend living close by.

Bob is also the definition of chill — all he’s into is relaxing, eating and jamming out to “K.K. Ragtime” on his old-school stereo. His childlike furniture set highlights just how carefree Bob is. As we get older, you better believe Bob stays exactly the same.

He’s also become the stuff of memes, the true indicator of popularity.

So what gives, Pocket Camp? Yeah, sure, you have some other decent animals to chill with already available. But the attraction of Animal Crossing has long been the chance to start a fresh life, where calming activities like fishing help us ignore our increasing pile of loans.

I don’t want to live that life without Bob, my chillest friend of all. So tell me all you want about your new villagers, Pocket Camp, but until one of them is Bob, I’m not interested.

Update: I come to you with good news, friends. On Jan. 29, Isabelle teased from the Animal Crossing Twitter account that six more neighbors will be joining Pocket Camp in an impending update. Teased first among them?

Bob.

What Isabelle isn’t saying is when we can expect the Bob-date to drop, but as soon as Bob’s there in Pocket Camp, so too will I be.