Splatoon 3

Splatoon 3 is the third entry in the Splatoon series and the sequel to Splatoon 2. It is set to be released on the Nintendo Switch in 2022-09-09.

Development
In an interview with the weekly Famitsu magazine from around July 2019, Splatoon series producer Hisashi Nogami said that after completing Splatoon 2, the team focused on the Octo Expansion DLC as well as updates, and would not think about the future until completing version of the game. This means that Splatoon 3 development had not started as of July 2019 and presumably started after the release of Version 5.0.0 on 2019-07-31. This is quite different compared to the timing of the development of Splatoon 2, which started immediately after Splatoon was released.

On 2021-02-17, Splatoon 3 was announced in a Nintendo Direct.

Splatoon 3 will be the first game in the series to be localized into Korean and Chinese.

On 2021-09-24, more information was revealed about Splatoon 3 in a Nintendo Direct, including new special weapons, stages, and music, as well as the reveal of the single-player mode Return of the Mammalians.

On 2022-01-01, the @SplatoonJP Twitter account posted a Tweet for the arrival of 2022. The post included a video with an Inkling performing a victory pose along with a jingle, while 2022 is written in ink. This revealed the return of the brush main weapon class, marking the final returning weapon class revealed.

On 2022-01-27, Volume 16 of the Splatoon manga was released with a teaser of the new Agent 3 arriving in Splatsville.

In a Nintendo Direct on 2022-02-09, Salmon Run Next Wave, a successor to Salmon Run from, was revealed to be a mode in Splatoon 3, introducing new Boss Salmonids, Egg Throwing, and the King Salmonid. It was also confirmed that the game will be released in the summer of 2022.

On 2022-04-22, a fourth trailer for Splatoon 3 was released, showing gameplay of a Turf War and revealing the release date to be 2022-09-09. It was also revealed that the game will support cloud saves (for offline play data) and that there will not be separate regional versions, meaning that all language options will be available to every player.

On 2022-08-10, an approximately thirty minute long Nintendo Direct focused entirely on Splatoon 3, titled the Splatoon 3 Direct, was aired, revealing many new details about various aspects of the game, such as its modes, characters, stages, weapons, etc.

Story


The game takes place in the Splatlands, a sun-scorched desert inhabited by battle-hardened Inklings and Octolings, and Splatsville, a city of chaos, one and a half years after the final Splatfest, Chaos vs. Order. The outcome of the Splatfest is likely the reason the game's design is themed around chaos.

The Splatoon 3 single-player story mode is called "Return of the Mammalians", and it is implied that mammals besides Judd and Li'l Judd will appear. Octarians return as the primary enemies, but the majority of them now appear mutated with brown fur and purple eyes, though some, such as DJ Octavio, retain their original appearances. The story takes place in a new location called Alterna, a large, snowy area littered with incomplete structures and hazardous Fuzzy Ooze. It also contains a rocket ship and portable research lab (where Callie, Marie, Craig Cuttlefish, and the Captain appear), a dark, mirrored city, and a neon-lit area with traditional Japanese items floating around in the background. The player's character is an Inkling or Octoling recruited by the New Squidbeak Splatoon (specifically the Squid Sisters and the Captain) as the new Agent 3; the former Agent 3 from the previous games is now the captain of the group following Cuttlefish's retirement.

Gameplay


Like its predecessors, Splatoon 3 is a third-person shooter game focused on online multiplayer ink battles, in which eight players are divided into two teams of four. Players have two main forms and may switch between the two at will: their humanoid form, in which they can use weapons to spread ink and splat opponents, and their squid or octopus form, which, if they enter their team's ink while in the form, allows them to swim through ink at greater speeds, including up walls, recharge their ink tank faster, and hide from opponents.

Players have access to new movement techniques to dodge attacks and expand the possibilities of attacks. A "squid roll" allows them to leap and twirl out of their ink and a "squid surge" allows them to quickly swim up ink-covered walls and jump out at the top, and both have a short phase of invincibility. Additionally, medals are now awarded at the end of multiplayer matches for various accomplishments.

In the Splatlands, players in online battles enter the battlefield with a spawner drone. It floats above the stage behind each base and allows players to aim at their desired deployment location within a certain reach. After choosing where to deploy, the spawner drone launches players to that location in squid or octopus form in a similar fashion to a Super Jump. If a player is splatted, they will respawn in the spawner drone and will launch in the same way a battle starts. The regular spawn points are still present, at least on Scorch Gorge, but are not confirmed to be usable.

In story mode, a Smallfry, nicknamed "little buddy", accompanies the player. They can be thrown to attack Octarians, interact with contraptions to solve various puzzles, and remove hazardous Fuzzy Ooze.

Characters
At this time, the following characters are known:


 * Agent 3 (new)
 * The player's "little buddy", a Smallfry
 * New Squidbeak Splatoon
 * Squid Sisters
 * Callie, also known as Agent 1
 * Marie, also known as Agent 2
 * Captain, the former Agent 3 from Splatoon as the new leader of the group
 * Craig Cuttlefish
 * DJ Octavio
 * Octarians
 * Judd and Li'l Judd
 * Deep Cut
 * Shiver
 * Frye
 * Big Man
 * Mr. Grizz
 * Sheldon
 * Gnarly Eddy
 * Nails
 * Jel La Fleur
 * Mr. Coco
 * Harmony
 * Murch
 * Crusty Sean
 * Off the Hook
 * Pearl
 * Marina
 * Inklings
 * Octolings
 * Salmonids
 * Zapfish
 * Super Sea Snails

Player customization
The genders of the Inklings and Octolings are no longer explicitly stated. Instead, the player "selects a style". Additionally, Octolings can now be selected from the start rather than having to be unlocked from paid DLC first.

New player customization options have been added:


 * Two new skin tones in addition to the seven returning, for a total of nine.
 * Eleven new eye colors, including six heterochromatic eyes that form a gradient from one color to another, in addition to 11 returning colors, for a total of 22. Some of these new eye color options feature colored pupils.
 * New hairstyles and legwear.
 * Hairstyles and legwear are no longer split between genders, meaning either style can access any hairstyle or legwear option, though hairstyles are still split between species.
 * At least four new Inkling hairstyles and four new Octoling hairstyles will be available. In keeping with the "chaos" theme, many of the new hairstyles are asymmetrical. All 16 hairstyles from have been confirmed to return, for a total of at least 24 options.
 * At least four new legwear options have been added in addition to the eight returning, for a total of at least twelve.
 * The player can now also customize their character's eyebrow shapes. There are new eyebrow options in addition to four eyebrow shapes from previous games (that previously matched the character's species and gender), although it is currently unclear whether available eyebrow options will depend on the chosen style.
 * The player now has a "little buddy", a Smallfry that plays a role in the single-player mode. Their hairstyle can be customized, with a total of seven different options.
 * Customizable banners have been added, displaying the player's username alongside changeable titles and backgrounds. These banners are displayed in certain situations, such as at the start and end of battles. More title phrases are unlocked as the player plays in Turf War matches.

There is also new gear, as well as gear returning from previous games:
 * Returning headgear includes the Annaki Beret & Glasses, Annaki Mask, Fugu Bell Hat, Full Moon Glasses, Golf Visor, Knitted Hat, Safari Hat, Short Beanie, Sneaky Beanie, Studio Headphones, SV925 Circle Shades, Woolly Urchins Classic, Swim Goggles, Fake Contacts, Blowfish Bell Hat, White Arrowbands, Takoroka Mesh, 18K Aviators, Squidvader Cap, Designer Headphones, Squidlife Headphones, FishFry Biscuit Bandana, Takoroka Visor, Tinted Shades, Double Egg Shades, and Firefin Facemask. New headgear includes the Retro Framers.
 * Returning clothes include the Annaki Yellow Cuff, B-ball Jersey (Home), Camo Layered LS, Camo Zip Hoodie, King Jersey, N-Pacer Sweat, Purple Camo LS, Red Hula Punk with Tie, Rockenberg White, Shirt & Tie, Zekko Long Carrot Tee, Herbivore Tee, Sunny-Day Tee, Negative Longcuff Sweater, Layered Vector LS, Black Inky Rider, Squid Satin Jacket, Gray Vector Tee, Front Zip Vest, Light Bomber Jacket, Takoroka Nylon Vintage, White V-Neck Tee, Octobowler Shirt, Annaki Flannel Hoodie, Black Polo, Zapfish Satin Jacket, White 8-Bit FishFry, Pirate-Stripe Tee, White Shirt and Lumberjack Shirt. New clothing includes the Airflow & Hustle Jacket and Battlecrab Shell.
 * Returning shoes include the Amber Sea Slug Hi-Tops, Blue Power Stripes, Choco Clogs, Punk Cherries, Red FishFry Sandals, Snowy Down Boots, Tea-Green Hunting Boots, Turquoise Kicks, Oyster Clogs, Red Hi-Tops, Squid-Stitch Slip-Ons, Truffle Canvas Hi-Tops, Arrow Pull-Ons, Orange Arrows, Red & Black Squidkid IV, Zombie Hi-Horses, Yellow FishFry Sandals, Annaki Habaneros, Tan Work Boots, Moto Boots, Punk Whites, Hunter Hi-Tops, Blue Lo-Tops, Black Flip-Flops, Hunting Boots, Strapping Whites, Trail Boots and Red Hi-Horses.

Locations
At this time, these locations are known:


 * Splatlands
 * Splatsville
 * Ammo Knights
 * Naut Couture
 * Man-o'-Wardrobe
 * Crush Station
 * Crab-N-Go
 * Battle Lobby Tower
 * The Shoal
 * Test Range
 * Grizzco Industries
 * Tableturf Battle Dojo
 * Scorch Gorge
 * Eeltail Alley
 * Hagglefish Market
 * Undertow Spillway
 * Mincemeat Metalworks
 * Alterna
 * Greater Inkopolis
 * Hammerhead Bridge
 * Museum d'Alfonsino
 * Mahi-Mahi Resort
 * Inkblot Art Academy
 * Sturgeon Shipyard
 * MakoMart
 * Wahoo World
 * Sockeye Station

Turf War
There are no known changes to the rules of Turf War in Splatoon 3 besides the addition of spawner drones. Once again, Turf War is the only Regular Battle mode.

Salmon Run Next Wave
In a Nintendo Direct on 2022-02-09, Salmon Run Next Wave was revealed as a successor to Salmon Run from, introducing new Boss Salmonids, stages, and mechanics, such as Egg Cannons, King Salmonids, and Big Runs.

Anarchy Battle
Anarchy Battle is a new mode that replaces Ranked Battles from previous games. It features all four modes from Ranked Battles that previously appeared (namely Splat Zones, Tower Control, Rainmaker, and Clam Blitz) on rotation and the returning rank system. There are two types of Anarchy Battles, Series and Open; Series Anarchy Battles do not allow for friends to join each other and use a new best out of five ruleset by which losing three battles results in a loss while winning five battles results in a victory, while Open Anarchy Battles are standalone battles in which players have the option to either join their friends or play solo.

Tableturf Battle
Tableturf Battle is a new mode. It is an adaptation of Turf War styled after a card game, and involves various cards depicting characters and weapons that fill areas like in a Turf War. There are over 150 different cards that players can use to build a deck; they correspond to various shapes that can be used to cover turf and they can be charged up to cover additional turf, with the winner of the game being whoever covers the most squares of turf. The mode takes place in the Tableturf Battle Dojo.

The Shoal
The Shoal returns, now as part of the Battle Lobby, and it allows Private Battles and Salmon Run to be played locally with other nearby players.

X Battle
X Battle is a type of Anarchy Battle only available to players who have achieved an extremely high rank, and is planned to be added to the game in an update following its release.

League Battle
League Battle, a returning mode from in which teams can take part in Anarchy Battles, is planned to be added to the game in an update following its release.

New Stages

 * Scorch Gorge - A new stage with a visual aesthetic very similar to Saltspray Rig or Salmon Run stages but located in a desert wasteland instead of at sea.
 * Eeltail Alley - A new stage set in an alley in the middle of Splatsville. Various bridges placed around the stage give it a separate upper and lower layer.
 * Undertow Spillway - A new stage set inside an underground flood bypass, that used to be abandoned before being restored for Turf Wars.
 * Mincemeat Metalworks - A new stage set in a Metalworks made from scrap metal.
 * Hagglefish Market - A new stage set in a market on water.

Returning Stages

 * Museum d'Alfonsino - A returning stage from, still located in Inkopolis. The shape of the large rotating platforms in the center of the stage appears to have been altered.
 * Hammerhead Bridge - A returning stage from, still located in Inkopolis, but construction on it has completed, so the layout is very different.
 * Mahi-Mahi Resort - A returning stage from, still located in Inkopolis. Takes place on a swimming pool within a holiday resort.
 * Inkblot Art Academy - A returning stage from, located in an art school.
 * Sturgeon Shipyard - A returning stage from, taking place on a cargo ship being built.
 * MakoMart - A returning stage from, taking place in a supermarket/grocery store.
 * Wahoo World - A returning stage from, located in an amusement park.

Salmon Run

 * Sockeye Station - A new stage in the Salmon Run Next Wave mode, with a similar aesthetic to previous Salmon Run stages.
 * Unnamed Salmon Run Stage - A new stage, shown in the Splatoon 3 Direct, but not yet named.

Main weapons

 * The stringer class was added, of which one known weapon is the Tri-Stringer. Once charged, it fires three strings of ink simultaneously. Its design seems to be based on a fishing rod, using the reel and string. The weapon also appears to have two stages of charge, as seen in the Nintendo Switch OLED trailer.
 * A new Splatana class was released starting with the Splatana Wiper, a window wiper-like weapon that fires slashes of ink when used and can perform a charged slash to deal lots of damage to faraway opponent or instantly splat an Inkling or Octoling within melee range.
 * All main weapons from previous games return, as confirmed by the Nintendo of Europe Twitter account.
 * Some unidentified weapons can be seen in Splatsville's Ammo Knights store.

Sub weapons

 * The Splat Bombs, Curling Bombs, and Burst Bombs all make appearances in the second Direct. The Suction Bombs, Splash Walls and Toxic Mist are revealed in the Release Date Revealed trailer. Later, Fizzy Bombs were revealed in the Splatoon 3 direct. It is currently unknown if they will retain the same attributes from the previous games.
 * A new sub weapon named the Angle Shooter was revealed. It is thrown in a straight line, bouncing off any surface and leaving behind a trail. Both the projectile and its trail slightly damage and tag enemies on contact, allowing them to be seen through opaque obstacles, similar to the Point Sensor.

Special weapons



 * A special weapon similar to the Inkzooka, called the Trizooka, was added. Three blobs of ink can be shot out of it, creating a large blast when it hits a surface. It can be fired three times. As of the Release Date Revealed trailer, it appears to be part of the Splattershot's set.
 * Prior to the Release Date Revealed trailer, a player using a Tri-Stringer could be seen using the Trizooka; its kit seems to have been changed to include the Killer Wail 5.1 instead (see below).
 * The Killer Wail 5.1, a set of six miniature floating lasers similar to the Sting Ray, was added. These lasers appear to follow enemy players in pairs. It appears to be part of the Sloshing Machine and Range Blaster's sets, and as of the Release Date Revealed trailer, it may also be a part of the .52 Gal and Tri-Stringer's sets.
 * A crab-shaped robot that can transform into a ball, called the Crab Tank, was added. The player can alternate between rapid-fire shots and a strong, cannon-like blast while using it. In the September 2021 Direct, a player seen holding a Clash Blaster is also the player using the Crab Tank, and it was being used next to where the Clash Blaster was last seen in the trailer. This implies the Crab Tank is part of the Clash Blaster's set. The Release Date Revealed trailer shows that it is also a part of the Splattershot Pro's set.
 * A deployable shield dome called the Big Bubbler was added. Atop the dome is a generator that can be attacked to decrease the radius of the dome itself. It appears to be part of the Splat Roller's set.
 * In the Release Date Revealed trailer, the Big Bubbler's launcher is shown to have an object similar to a Squid Beakon atop of it. It is still unknown if this object can be Super Jumped to, however.
 * A grappling hook-like special weapon, called the Zipcaster, was added. Using it, players can grapple to walls or other surfaces and attack with their main weapon, though its duration seems to decrease with each grapple and attack. It appears to be part of the Splash-o-Matic and Octobrush's sets.
 * The Zipcaster features a landing-spot marker similar to the Inkjet's landing marker in Splatoon 2, albeit with a different design.
 * Six special weapons from Splatoon 2 have been confirmed to be returning, those being Tenta Missiles, Inkjet, Ink Storm, Booyah Bomb, Ultra Stamp and Splashdown. It is unknown if their functionalities have been changed.
 * A missile special weapon, called the Triple Inkstrike, was added. The player launches three small Inkstrike-like missiles and throws three beacons. The missiles then land at where each beacon is thrown, creating tornadoes of ink. It appears to be part of the Slosher's set.
 * A vacuum-like special weapon, called the Ink Vac, was added. Players can absorb incoming fire, including sub weapons, and release a blast of ink as a counterattack. It appears to be part of the Splat Charger's set.
 * A special weapon similar in appearance to an inflatable shark, called the Reefslider, was added. Players can charge forward while riding it, and produce an explosion of ink with a blast radius similar to the Splashdown from Splatoon 2.

Music
The announcement trailer for the game contains a new remix of Splattack!, different from both the original version and the Octo Expansion remix. It is currently unknown whether this remix will be included in the final game. This remix seems to suggest the game's music will follow a more rock-esque style, especially considering the overall theme of the game seemingly being based on Chaos winning the Chaos vs. Order Splatfest.

A new band called C-Side has a song named Clickbait, which was first heard in the 2021-09-23 Nintendo Direct. In the same video, a song sounding similar to music is heard after Clickbait.

A new band called Front Roe made up of previous Squid Squad members Ichiya, Namida and Murasaki, and an unnamed 4th member have a song named Sea Me Now.

A sample of an early version Now or Never! can be heard in an official tweet released on 2022-01-01. A full version of Now or Never! can be heard in the background of the gameplay trailer on 2022-04-22. Turquoise October Deluge Dirge and a yet unnamed song that sounds similar to ω-3's songs were featured in the Salmon Run Next Wave trailer in the 2022-02-09 Nintendo Direct.

Off the Hook are in a new band called Damp Socks feat. Off the Hook. They have made a new song called Candy-Coated Rocks.

Another song by C-Side, Paintscraper, was revealed on 2022-08-05.

A new set of idols, known as Deep Cut, were revealed on 10 August 2022. The group consists of Shiver, Frye and Big Man. They debuted alongside a song called Anarchy Rainbow.

Changes and additions
Much like the previous Splatoon games, Splatoon 3 is planned to have several post-launch updates. Such updates are liable to prevent replays from working due to balance adjustments. Update content will include using keywords to interact with ghosts in a channel, tweaked methods for adjusting ranks, X Battles, League Battles, additional stages, additional weapons, and additional catalogues for player customization. Additionally, major paid DLC featuring Pearl and Marina is also planned for Splatoon 3.

Trivia

 * The signature ink color set for this game is similar to the Color Lock set in, as well as one of the Ranked Battle color sets in.
 * The Inkopolis Memorial Mixtape ends with the same drum loop used in the loading screen followed by the opening of the original version of Splattack!, similar to the music of the Splatoon 3 announcement trailer.
 * In the Splatoon 3 announcement trailer, it could be seen that, while Inklings and Octolings are being shown individually, the Octoling using the Hydra Splatling had the symmetrical teeth of an Inkling, unlike the asymmetrical teeth Octolings usually have. This was later corrected in some promotional art of Octolings on the Splatoon 3 official Japanese website after the game's release date reveal.
 * Upon closer inspection, the "3" in the final version of the game's logo has cracks visible on its surface. This is another reference to the game being themed around chaos and it taking place in a desert region.