Side Order

Side Order is an upcoming single-player campaign mode that is Wave 2 of the paid downloadable content. It was revealed through a teaser trailer during the February 2023 Nintendo Direct and is scheduled to release Spring 2024.

Story
The mode takes place in "what has become of" Inkopolis Square, the main hub of, in "what would've happened" if Team Order had beaten Team Chaos.

The protagonist, Agent 8, is found inside a now bleached of color Inkopolis Square. They are challenged to ascend the Spire of Order, which has mysteriously "replaced" the Deca Tower that once stood there. Pearl is also met in Inkopolis Square, and helps Agent 8 during their quest, interacting them through a drone-like robot. Inside the Spire of Order, the player is allowed to transcend between various floors, some of which being based off ranked modes, rewarding the player with tokens after completion.

Inside these missions, it appears to take place in a factory, and an unknown species of creatures that resemble robotic fish can be seen as enemies, instead of the Octarians. Pearl is also shown to be able to splat these creatures with Splat Bombs and seemingly a laser, and can also allow Agent 8 to fly around.

Acht, also known as Dedf1sh, is also found inside the Spire of Order inside an elevator. She is a "bystander that got sucked in," and also knows Marina, saying that "they both go way back." She also introduces Pearl and Agent 8 to color chips and the Palette, which give them improved abilities for use in the missions.

Characters

 * Agent 8
 * Acht
 * Acht
 * Acht

Teaser
The teaser trailer for Side Order features a slow pan across a dull, stark white version of Inkopolis Square from, focusing on an unknown Octoling character. The Octoling wears their hair in the Tentacurl hairstyle, their ink color is a faded brown, and they are dressed in a short-sleeved white jumpsuit with matching white knee-high boots, as well as a thin, translucent brace on their left forearm. Throughout the trailer, various cryptic static images and short clips briefly flicker on-screen; the images primarily depict the Octoling in strange bright white locations, as well as Off the Hook, while the clips seemingly depict biological components such as cells, blood, and organs. The ground appears to be coated in a thick layer of snow or bleached coral and bits of snow/coral-like specks can also be seen floating in the distance. Branches of presumed dead or bleached coral are present throughout the plaza. Deca Tower looks significantly different in its blanched-out state, resembling a normal building with various billboards affixed to it rather than a battle tower. The tower's entrance is entirely different, and the Great Zapfish is absent from its resting spot. A swarm of fish-like objects "swim" around the Octoling towards the end.

A dull, slightly out-of-tune music box melody with steady electronic percussion accompanies the teaser, which slowly grows more intense; towards the end, someone can be heard speaking.

Quotes
"As for the second wave, we're flummoxed! What is that strange tower? Why has everything turned white and ghostly? What's on that Octoling's mind? We're going to get to the bottom - or maybe the top - of this, so stay tuned for further updates on our research."

- @SplatoonNA on Twitter

"A new single-player campaign called Side Order super jumps to the Splatoon 3 game in the second wave of this DLC. See what has become of Inkopolis Square, the central area featured in the Splatoon 2 game!"

- eShop description

"Challenge yourself to a new single-player campaign, Side Order! See what has happened to Inkopolis Square from the Splatoon 2 game, and what would've happened if Order thwarted Chaos to rule the city!"

- Official DLC webpage

Teaser images
Throughout the teaser trailer for the mode, several cryptic static images flash on screen very briefly.

Trivia

 * Side Order marks the second DLC to feature a central Octoling character separate from the player character and Off the Hook as supporting characters, the first of which was.

Etymology
A side order is another term for a side dish, a food item meant to accompany a larger main item as part of a meal. The title is a pun on the mode being a side story about Team Order, the Splatfest team lead by Marina that lost the Final Fest in.

The mode's title in other languages appears to name the Spire of Order.