Rumors and leaks

There have been several rumors and leaks regarding Splatoon content - some were created by the community, while others were sparked by the developers themselves.

Ongoing
This is a list of rumors and leaks that have neither been confirmed true nor false.

Mr. Grizz as the Villian


There have been many hints, beginning with a 2020 greeting image posted on SplatoonJP Twitter with a hidden message in the waves spelling "SAVE OUR SALMONS" leading many people within the community to theorise about Mr. Grizz potentially acting as the villain of 's story mode.

Apartments in Splatoon 3
There have been some theories from fans that apartments will be introduced in Splatoon 3. Due to the sheer size of the new main hub, Splatsville, this could be a possibility.

Return of Flounder Heights in Splatoon 3
For a split second in the "Return of the Mammalians" trailer for Splatoon 3, an image depicting a water tank found in Flounder Heights can be seen in a black-and-white filter, around 1:10-1:11. It appears to be taken from the stage thumbnail for Splatoon. This could be a hint for the stage's return in the future.

Changed or scrapped
A list of rumors and leaks that were either changed before being implemented in-game, or ultimately never released.

OatmealDome leak on Reddit
In August 2017, Reddit user OatmealDome made two posts with data mined information from which had not been officially revealed at the time. Many upcoming Splatoon 2 weapons and gear had been found in the game's files. .

There were several instances of the final in-game information being different from the data mined values, usually special gauge size. This was due to Nintendo continuing to make changes to weapon sets before unlocking them.


 * The Splattershot had its special weapon changed from the Tenta Missiles to the Splashdown.
 * The Splat Roller had its sub weapon changed from Curling Bombs to Suction Bombs for the Splatoon 2 Global Testfire, then back to Curling Bombs for the final release.
 * The Gold Dynamo Roller had its sub weapon changed from Toxic Mist to Splat Bombs and its special gauge size increased from 180p to 200p.
 * The Hydra Splatling had its special weapon changed from the Ink Armor to the Splashdown and its special gauge size decreased from 190p to 180p.
 * The Inkbrush Nouveau had its special gauge size decreased from 180p to 160p.
 * The N-ZAP '89 had its special gauge size increased from 180p to 190p.
 * The Octobrush Nouveau had its special gauge size decreased from 180p to 170p.
 * The Dapple Dualies Nouveau had its special gauge size decreased from 180p to 170p.
 * The .52 Gal Deco had its special gauge size increased from 180p to 190p.
 * The .96 Gal Deco had its special gauge size increased from 180p to 190p.
 * The Custom Goo Tuber had its special gauge size decreased from 180p to 170p.
 * The Dark Tetra Dualies had its special gauge size decreased from 180p to 170p.
 * The H-3 Nozzlenose D had its sub weapon changed from Sprinklers to Suction Bombs. The information from the March 15th update was correct.
 * The Zink Mini Splatling had its special gauge size increased from 180p to 200p. The information from the March 15th update was correct.
 * The Sorella Brella had its sub weapon changed from Toxic Mist to Autobombs. The information from the March 15th update was correct.
 * The Clash Blaster Neo had its sub weapon changed from Sprinklers to Burst Bombs for the Version preview video, then to Curling Bombs for the release. The information from the March 15th update was correct.
 * The Tri-Slosher Nouveau had its special changed from the Autobomb Launcher to the Ink Storm. The information from the March 15th update was correct.
 * The Custom Range Blaster had its sub weapon changed from Burst Bombs to Curling Bombs and its special weapon changed from the Sting Ray to the Bubble Blower. The information from the March 15th update was correct.
 * The Custom Dualie Squelchers had its special weapon changed from the Ink Armor to the Sting Ray for the Version 3.0.0 preview video, then to the Ink Storm for the release and its special gauge size increased from 180p to 190p. The information from the April 24th update was correct.
 * The Rapid Blaster Pro Deco had its sub weapon changed from Curling Bombs to Splash Walls. The information from the March 15th update was correct.
 * The Carbon Roller Deco had its sub weapon changed from Sprinklers to Burst Bombs and its special weapon from the Inkjet to the Autobomb Launcher and its special gauge size increased from 170p to 190p. The information from the April 24th update was correct.
 * The Tenta Sorella Brella had its special weapon changed from the Ink Armor to the Curling-Bomb Launcher. The information from the April 24th update was correct.
 * The Custom Hydra Splatling had its special weapon changed from the Splashdown to the Ink Armor. The information from the March 15th update was correct.
 * The Light Tetra Dualies had its special weapon changed from Splat-Bomb Launcher to the Autobomb Launcher. The information from the July 12th update was correct.
 * The Custom Explosher had its sub weapon changed from Autobombs to Point Sensors.
 * The Ballpoint Splatling Nouveau had its special weapon changed from the Splashdown to the Ink Storm.
 * The Bloblobber Deco had its sub weapon changed from Fizzy Bombs to Sprinklers.
 * The Nautilus 79 had its special weapon changed from the Ink Armor to the Inkjet, its sub weapon changed from Splat Bombs to Suction Bombs, and its brand changed from Foil to Ammo Knights.

Unfinished ranked modes
An unfinished ranked mode, code-named "Rocket", with a unique object (vRocket) and weapon (vRocketNozzle). Hacking a work-in-progress version into the game shows a mode where a rocket object that is launched by shooting ink at it and an ink pump weapon that can be used to continue advancing once control of the rocket is gained.

Another unfinished Ranked mode, code-named "Eight-Ball", can be accessed with hacks. It involves the player shooting a large ball reminiscent of the 8-Ball to roll it towards the opposing team's goal.

Miscellaneous

 * A new scrapped special weapon codenamed "Bazooka." This is not the Inkzooka, which is codenamed "SuperShot."
 * The original Octoling Armor and Octoling Boots to accompany the Octoleet Goggles. Data and models for both of them exist in the game's files, but were ultimately never released.
 * The Tentacles Helmet was shown in the 2018-03-08 Nintendo Direct, but did not see a release.

Confirmed
This is a list of rumors or leaks that have been confirmed to be true.

Prima Strategy Guide "Coming Soon" section


The Prima Strategy Guide for Splatoon included a "Coming Soon" section which showed off upcoming weapons and stages.


 * Weapons: Carbon Roller, Custom E-liter 3K, E-liter 3K Scope, Inkbrush, L-3 Nozzlenose, N-ZAP '85, N-ZAP '89, Rapid Blaster Deco and Splash-o-matic.
 * Stages: Bluefin Depot, Kelp Dome, Camp Triggerfish, and Port Mackerel.

There are also two images of Tower Control.

Datamine DLC leak
NWPlayer123 datamined Splatoon and leaked information about upcoming weapons, stages, and modes. Also, some pictures and explanations were shown about the new Ranked modes, Tower Control and Rainmaker.

The leaker also uploaded a video of the Sploosh-o-matic, one of the leaked unreleased weapons, after using live memory edits to add it in.

The following content was revealed due to this datamine:

Weapons

 * Sploosh-o-matic
 * Neo Splash-o-matic
 * N-ZAP '89
 * Custom Dual Squelcher
 * Luna Blaster
 * Carbon Roller
 * Octobrush
 * E-liter 3K Scope

Stages

 * Moray Towers
 * Camp Triggerfish

Modes

 * Rainmaker's description and gameplay mechanics.

Version 2.0.0 datamining
After the release of Version 2.0.0 of Splatoon, NWPlayer123 and Guy Perfect once again dug into the data and found more information regarding unreleased content, including weapons, stages, gear, character models and game modes.

Sloshing Machine datamining
In a similar vein to the Version 2.0.0 datamining, NWPlayer123 posted photos and video of a new slosher variety, the Sloshing Machine, as well as other minor additions in Version 2.2.0.

Squid Sisters amiibo


A Twitter post by NWPlayer123 on 2016-01-30 showed the results of continued data mining as new amiibo coming for Splatoon, called "AmiiboIdolA" and "AmiiboIdolB" in the game's files. It was believed they could be Squid Sisters amiibo, hence the names. These files were added in the version 2.4.0 update and speculation on them, as well as some "SCLive" strings that corresponded to the amiibo entries, date as far back as 2015-12-17.

On 2016-04-30, it finally announced that Squid Sisters' amiibo would be released on 2016-07-07.

Playable Octolings
Playable girl and boy Octolings that were released with The Octo Expansion.

New Rank Battle mode
A new Ranked mode, Clam Blitz, released on December 13, 2017.

Stages
Two new Salmon Run stages codenamed "Shakehouse" and "Threepoints" respectively.
 * Shakehouse became Lost Outpost.
 * Threepoints became Salmonid Smokeyard. Now codenamed "Shakelift."

Kelp Dome, Blackbelly Skatepark and Ancho-V Games have returned from Splatoon.

Six new stages codenamed "Pillar", "Kawa" (Japanese for 'river'), "Line", "Tunnel", "Nakasu" and "Mirror" respectively.
 * Pillar became Manta Maria.
 * Kawa became Snapper Canal.
 * Line became MakoMart.
 * Tunnel became Shellendorf Institute.
 * Nakasu became New Albacore Hotel.
 * Mirror became Skipper Pavilion.

Weapons
Four new main weapons (one returning), one new sub weapon, one new special weapon and one rare weapon:
 * Explosher (codenamed "Washtub"), Ballpoint Splatling (codenamed "Downpour"), Bloblobber (codenamed "Bathtub") and Nautilus 47 (codenamed "Serein").
 * Fizzy Bomb (codenamed "Wsp_Piyo").
 * Booyah Bomb (codenamed "SuperBall").
 * Octo Shot Replica (via Octo Expansion).
 * The Grizzco Slosher.

Data mined loadouts:
 * Explosher: Sprinkler and Bubble Blower.
 * Custom Explosher: Autobomb and Baller. Changed to Point Sensor.
 * Ballpoint Splatling: Toxic Mist and Inkjet.
 * Ballpoint Splatling Nouveau: Squid Beakon and Splashdown. Changed to Ink Storm.
 * Bloblobber: Splash Wall and Ink Storm.
 * Bloblobber Deco: Fizzy Bomb and Suction-Bomb Launcher. Changed to Sprinkler.
 * Nautilus 47: Point Sensor and Baller.
 * Nautilus 79: Splat Bomb and Ink Armor. Changed to Suction Bomb and Inkjet.

2018-03-15 Update
On 2018-03-15, LeanYoshi, who performed the data mining for weapon stats, updated the weapon loadouts for all previously leaked weapons :

2018-04-24 Update
On 2018-04-24, LeanYoshi updated the data with a few more changes, as well as updating the database with the Version 3.0.0 changes:

2018-07-12 Update
On 2018-07-12, LeanYoshi updated the data for the from the Version  update which changed its special from  to.

WemI0 3.0.0 datamine
On 2018-04-26, Twitter user WemI0 preformed a datamine of Version 3.0.0 in Splatoon 2 and found several models for gear, weapons, and more. These are the confirmed pieces of content:

Salmon Run Gear

 * Octoleet Goggles, Record Shop Look EP, Dev Uniform, Worker's Head Towel, Beekeeper Hat and Worker's Cap.

Amiibo and promotional gear

 * Pearl and Marina's outfits from The Octo Expansion (via their Amiibo).
 * A clothing item based on the Splatoon 2 World Championship held at E3 2018.
 * Agent 8's armor from The Octo Expansion.

Announcment/Existence
The Twitter-based leaker SamusHunter posted about Splatoon 3's existence in a tweet over a month before its announcement.

Busted
This is a list of rumors and leaks that have been confirmed false.

Cheat code


Some days after the game's launch, players noticed that some Sunken Scrolls, as well as signs on Inkopolis Plaza, contain what appears to be arrows pointing up, down, left or right.

On the 2015-06-09, the official Splatoon Facebook page made a joke post referencing how some Facebook users accidentally type Google search queries on their Facebook profiles. This joke, however, sparked curiosity among fans, as the "search" was for "Squid Jump cheats". Naturally, Nintendo staff themselves would not be searching for cheat codes on a game made by their company, meaning the post was placed there on purpose, likely to hint players about the existence of a code hidden inside the game.

On top of this, the official Splatoon Tumblr account made a post about how players can press on the Plaza to look around, and how this serves the additional purpose of getting information on Miiverse posts. It also mentioned that it "may also have another use", which remains unknown to this day.

As of yet, no code has been found, and it is unknown if there is any relation between the arrows, the rumored code, and the rumored extra function of, or if any secret exists, to begin with. Players have since been attempting to figure something out by input the arrow's directions during different parts of the game, mostly the Squid Jump minigame, but without luck.

However, The Art of Splatoon definitely shows that it simply is a stylized spelling of "ブイヤベース" (Booyah Base) in Inkling.

Multiple fake Super Mario Sunshine DLC leaks


Around June 2015, there was a "leak" on the internet that Super Mario Sunshine amiibo DLC was coming to Splatoon. Only a single image existed regarding this supposed leak. It has since been proven fake, with the author of the leak releasing the images they used to create it.

Later that year, in July, another Super Mario Sunshine amiibo DLC rumor with several images was found. These images supposedly depicted new Sunshine-related gear and Octo Valley missions. The supposed announcement date passed, and nothing like it was added, confirming it as false.

Flounder Heights returning
In late 2017, speculation emerged about the possible return of Flounder Heights. This speculation was based on a placeholder entry that had a misspelling of the stage's Quebec French name.

Marie's charger
There was a rumor in 2018 that Marie's Hero Charger from Octo Canyon would be added as a playable weapon.

Wasabi Splattershot
There was a Twitter post in mid-2018 that rumored that the Wasabi Splattershot would return. Which included a promo render image and it's sub and special; Toxic Mist and a new unheard of special at the time. But this was confirmed false with the release of the Kensa Splattershot in Kensa Collection Volume 1 in September of that year. The unknown special became known as the Booyah Bomb.

SamusHunter leaks
The controversial Twitter leaker SamusHunter was submitted an E3 2021 - What to expect graphic, with one of the pictures being for a "2021 Splatoon 3 World Inkling Invitational". None of these events were seen in the E3 2021 Direct and outdated branding was used for the images.

Open-world Splatlands
Many people within the community have created theories that lead to Splatoon 3's single player taking place in an open-world area. These theories take many different pieces of evidence from the trailer and the Squid Research Lab, ranging from the walking of the Little Buddy being too far back for the classic platformer hero mode, and to what seems to be an entire shop for bikes. Gameplay shown in the September 2021 Nintendo Direct showed platforming gameplay more reminiscent of Octo Valley and  Octo Canyon with the player collecting Zapfish on linear stages.